Scott Davies has warned his Aldershot Town squad to stay professional and humble ahead of their FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie against Tadley Calleva. The Shots are heavy favourites for Saturday's 3pm kick-off at the EBB Stadium but the manager insists his team will not take their ninth-tier opponents lightly. Aldershot currently sit 12th in the National League with 18 points from 13 games, a record of five wins, three draws and five losses.
Davies stressed the importance of the right approach. "It’s so important we approach it in the right way, and I think we will," he said.
He pointed to Tadley Calleva's impressive victory over Dartford in the previous round as proof of their threat. "We know it's going to be tough. Tadley beat Dartford in the last round, who are a massive football club," Davies added. "It shows what Tadley are capable of.
Recent form and context
Aldershot Town's preparation comes after a mixed run of results. They stopped a three-game losing streak in the National League with a 5-3 win over Norwich City U21s in the National League Cup on Tuesday. That victory, which featured goals from Mooney Dinanga, Tyler Abrahams and Wyllie, provided a welcome boost. Dinanga scored a hat-trick in that match, including a penalty, while Abrahams and Wyllie also found the net.
In the league, however, form has been inconsistent. The side currently sits 12th in the National League table with 18 points from 13 matches, having scored 18 goals and conceded 16. Their recent sequence reads two wins and three losses from the last five games, a run Davies will be keen to stabilise after this cup fixture. This recent form includes a 3-1 defeat at Altrincham on Saturday 10 October, where Tuma scored their consolation goal.
Looking ahead
Full analysis of Tadley Calleva is underway. "We'll watch their games back, we've got a couple of different bits of footage, and give all the lads the information they need," Davies confirmed. The focus will then quickly turn back to league business, with a home match against 19th-placed Wealdstone scheduled for next Saturday, October 24th. The league campaign sees Aldershot currently 17 points behind leaders Boreham Wood.
