Needham Market looking to cause FA Cup upset against National League South side Weston-super-Mare

His Needham Market side may well be underdogs in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup this weekend, but manager Tom Rothery is not viewing the trip to Weston-super-Mare as a free hit.

The Marketmen will make the long journey to Somerset tomorrow to face a home side that have made a positive start to the new National League South season.

With just two defeats from their opening 10 fixtures, the Seagulls sit second in the table, three points adrift of league-leading Hornchurch.

Needham’s form, in contrast, at a level below in the Southern League Premier Central Division has been patchy – although they have seemed to save some of their best performances this term for cup competitions.

Victory at the Woodspring Stadium would certainly be an upset, but Rothery and his team will go into the encounter determined to give it their best shot.

“It’s a really tough game when you look at their form,” said the Needham boss. “We were obviously at the same level as them last season but we never reached the heights they have.

“But I don’t believe in free hits or anything like that because ultimately I want to win the game. If we lose – even if we’ve played well – of course there will be disappointment because we’re an ambitious side that believe we can win games like this.

“There will be a little bit of pressure off us because nobody on the outside is expecting much, but collectively we’ll be looking to be the best version of ourselves.

“We’re a good footballing team and I believe we can compete with teams like this. Then it will be down to us to take our chances when they come, make sure we look after the football when we’ve got it and then maybe get ourselves a little bit of luck along the way.”

Victory on the coast would see Needham reach the first round proper of the FA Cup for the second time in just four seasons – something that Rothery believes would be a ‘massive achievement’.

He was assistant to Kevin Horlock in 2023 when Needham were beaten 2-0 by League One outfit Burton Albion, and a return to that stage would be the source of much pride.

Rothery added: “We’ve been at this stage three times in four years, which is fantastic, and to get into the first round again would be a massive achievement.

“It would be huge for the players because how many times do you get the chance to play at that stage of the tournament against a potentially big club like Luton or Cardiff? Hopefully some of our boys will go on to play at that level regularly, but you never know.

“As players and managers you always want to test yourselves against the best and for the club it would be huge as well. Burton was great but financially it perhaps wasn’t the greatest because the crowd wasn’t too big, so if we can get through again, hopefully we’ll draw one of the really big ones.”

Needham will be without Reggie Lambe, who is on international duty with Bermuda this weekend.