Yeovil Town encouraged to 'come out swinging' against Chesterfield in the FA Cup

Non-league Yeovil Town are promising to keep Chesterfield on their toes in tomorrow’s FA Cup first round tussle, with manager Billy Rowley asking his team to “come out swinging”.

The Glovers have taken 21 Football League scalps, more than any other club, in a sequence that has done for the likes of Blackpool, Fulham, Rotherham United, Northampton Town and Sunderland in a famous win back in 1949.

Even though a victory over Chesterfield, only one step above on the league pyramid, would be less of a surprise, another headline-grabbing result wouldn’t go amiss for the underdogs.

Rowley said: "We’re coming up against a really, really good team, really well coached, top fan base, and a tough place to go. But we go as underdogs and we can go out there swinging and see where it takes us.

"We’re playing a top League Two team, so we’re not expecting to dominate. We’re going to have to roll our sleeves up and show real tenacity and grit and I’m expecting the lads to do that."

Yeovil were off it last week, going down 2-0 at Halifax to leave them fifth in the National League. But their tally of 35 goals is bettered in the section only by leaders Boreham Wood and Kieron Dyer’s Southend United and they’re a good away side. Midfielder Johl Powell has eight goals so far.

"This is the beauty of the FA Cup, isn’t it?" added Rowley. "We’re hoping that Chesterfield think they’re going to win and that it’s going to be a slightly easier game than they would face on a usual Saturday.

“We're motivated to go there, play in a great arena and let some of the young lads showcase themselves against a team in the league higher.

“It’s a competition we desperately want to do well in, and we’ll be going with a real front-foot attitude."

Admission prices have been reduced to £12 for adults and half that for some concessions. Kick-off is 3pm.