WITHAM TOWN manager Garry Kimble is delighted with his side's start to the Ryman League season – but now has his sights set firmly on FA Cup success this weekend.
Kimble's men sit top of Ryman League Division One North after five wins and a draw from their opening six games, including an eye-catching 6-0 win at Barkingside on Saturday.
But this weekend they host Eastern Counties League Premier Division outfit Newmarket Town in the FA Cup Preliminary Round, and Kimble is hoping to progress in that competition to earn the club some much-needed funds.
"First and foremost we've got a hard FA Cup tie and we need the revenue from that," he said. "We've got to approach the game like anything else.
"We've got to be professional, we've got to try and win the game.
"We've got home advantage and then if we do get through we've got home advantage again so that's an incentive in itself.
"We like to have a little run in the cup because in previous seasons we haven't really had the luck of the draw.
"This year the draw has been kind to us and hopefully we can capitalise on that."
Kimble's men were beaten in the play-off semi-finals last season by eventually-promoted Thamesmead, but he strengthened well over the summer and it has paid dividends so far.
And he added: "We've done well.
"I asked the lads to carry on what happened at the back end of last season when we won nine out of ten, and we've just carried that on through. It's been very good."
The 6-0 win at Barkingside took his side top of the table, and Kimble was delighted with that win and the way his side followed that up with a narrow 1-0 win over Soham Town Rangers on Monday.
He said: "I was pleased with the clean sheet as well and the way we played, from one to 16 and to be fair I think we could have scored two or three more, we hit the bar and the post so it could easily have been eight or nine.
"We only get three points of course, but winning 6-0 away from home is a good result and it's good for our goal difference as well.
"As I said to the lads on Monday when we played Soham, now we've got the added pressure of being at the top, the teams who we're playing will want to beat us even more.
"We showed good character on Monday, we played well and if it wasn't for their goalkeeper, we could have scored four or five.
"We're creating chances and keeping the goals out as well, so collectively we're doing well.
"At the moment, we are at the summit, we're top of the league, if we can keep there then it's all well and good, and if not then we just keep one game at a time and keep striving to get there.
"We've had some good scalps so far, but it's early days yet. We'll have a look at it after 10 or 12 games, if we're still there at the end of a hard September then we'll be happy."
