Third round lure won’t distract Hatters from the job in hand

The lure of a potentially glamorous FA Cup third round tie won’t distract the Hatters from the job in hand when Dorchester Town visit Kenilworth Road for the first of two visits in four days on Saturday, writes Mark Wood.

Town are favourites to progress to the third round against their Blue Square Bet South opponents, where they could draw a juicy tie against a high-profile Premier League side.

Boss Paul Buckle said: “I’ve been here before with the hype of it.

“If you lose focus and start looking at the third round where the big clubs come in, you take your eye off the ball and I’m not going to do that.

“I’m sure Dorchester want to win, and I’m damn sure we want to win, it’s how to win. So I’m going to concentrate on how we’re going to win the game, what we need to do to win the game and that’s my focus.

“If we do it right, if we start right, work really hard, that’s the first thing before any tactics are put up. If we work our socks off we’ve got every chance of going through.”

Buckle has a real taste for the competition after enjoying some previous success, but knows that Luton must apply themselves first and foremost.

He said: “I said luck in the sense that I’ve got through to the third round a few times and the fourth round, but it takes a lot of hard work and preparation.

“You play against teams below you, above you, and you have to prepare right, and I feel we’ve always done that in games gone by and it will be no different this time round.

“It’s going to be a tough, tough game on Saturday but it will be a tough game for them as well if we play to our usual standards.”

The cup could prove to be hugely important to the club financially, but it is ‘massive’ to Buckle and his players for other reasons.

“The club have not spoken to me about it directly as a rule,” he said.

“But it’s very important to me and the players. It’s the next game, it’s the FA Cup, we don’t want to go out we want to get into the third round and have a cup run. It’s massive to me and the players.

“Winning games, or drawing games and getting on a run is a great thing for any club.

“I said the other week and I said before, I won’t play a weakened team, I don’t want to do that.

“I want some momentum, I’m trying to instil a winning mentality at the club over the past months and the way you do that is by winning games and taking everything very seriously.

“If we can get through I’m sure it will add momentum to our season.”

Buckle is certain Dorchester will have dreams of claiming another high-profile scalp after disposing of League Two Plymouth Argyle in the last round and will also have aspirations of drawing one of the big guns in the later stages.

He added: “I think Luton is high profile. I think we get a good following every week, home and way. I’m sure Dorchester will be thrilled to come to Kenilworth Road and put on a good show and there will be a good crowd there.

“There’s always pressure on us to go and perform and it’s always a big game when Luton take the field, I always feel it’s a big game.

“It makes it bigger because the winners go into the third round. We desperately want that to be us. It’s brilliant being in the third round, it’s great for the club.

“They’ll have the same aspirations as us, they’ll be desperate to go through as well. I’m hoping that will make for a very good game.”