FA Cup tie huge for Rangers boss
Stafford Rangers manager Chris Brindley has told his side their FA Cup trip to lower league minnows Coventry Sphinx is as important as any match this season.
The Marston Road men face a second qualifying round tie against a team three levels below them in the non-league pyramid but the visitors have a right to be wary, after tumbling out of the competition to fellow Midland Alliance opposition in Coalville at the same stage last year.
Brindley was assistant boss to Steve Bull while Bobby Wilson and Nick Wellecomme are still on the playing staff from that day, a game that lost the club £4,5oo in prize money and the lucrative prospect of a big tie in the next round.
Rangers are anxious to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself, and will field a full-strength team at Sphinx Drive.
Midfielder Jake Moult returns to the squad after injury, but Luke Morgan only returned to training last night, while goalkeeper Lee Evans is definitely still out with a foot injury.
And the manager is taking no chances this time round.
He said: "It's a massive competition, the biggest we will play in, and it's important to us that we get through. The lads have had it drummed into them that if we are anything less than 100 per cent committed, we will be in real trouble.
"I have watched Coventry a couple of times and they are a lively side who score a lot of goals. They are unbeaten at home as well, so we will have to be at our best. It's a banana skin for us and there are no easy games in football.
"We want to win and progress as far as we can in this competition."
