Hastings ready for tough Middlesbrough test

131 places separate Championship high-fliers Middlesbrough and Ryman Premier Division outfit Hastings United in Football pyramid. Saturday’s FA Cup third round meeting at the Riverside Stadium is the biggest occasion in the U’s 118 years of existence.

This is the third time Hastings have reached the third round, their first appearance since 1955, with Swindon Town being the only Football League side to suffer defeat to the Sussex-based club back in 1953.

Although the odds will be stacked against Sean Ray’s side, the Hastings player/manager is adamant that his players must play without pressure and promises to adopt an attack minded approach.

Speaking to BBC Sussex Ray said: “If we are going to lose a game 2-0 or 3-0 by sitting back and not getting out of our half, nobody is going to remember that.

“I'd rather lose 5-2 or 6-2 knowing that we have had a go, got a couple of goals and given our fans something to remember.

“We will go up there and play to our strengths. We will not go out there and sit back.”  

Having not won an FA Cup tie for five seasons, Hasting’s run to the third round proper began with a 3-1 victory over Chatham Town in early September.

Seven more ties have followed since with a penalty shootout victory over Harrogate Town setting up the U’s trip to the Championship side.

Statistically, this year’s winners of the FA Cup will still have not won as many games as the Ryman Premier Division side, with Hastings having already recorded six wins so far in the competition.  

They make the trip to the Riverside Stadium in confident spirits, looking to preserve their 12 match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Ray is hopeful his players will not let the occasion get the better of his side, with victory likely to rival other great cup upsets like Hereford’s dramatic triumph over Newcastle in 1972.

He continued: “We've got to treat it as just another game. I don't think the players will need a team talk. They know how huge the game is.

“They just need to be able to concentrate on their own games and get clear in their minds what they want to go and achieve on the day.

“The onus is on Middlesbrough to come at us and score four, five or six goals against us, like everyone is expecting them to do.

“We go out there nice and relaxed to play our game. We've got nothing to fear and nothing to lose.”

“The one thing we have got to do is believe. The longer we are in the game the more frustrated they will be.”