Canvey Island will be without the services of one of their great cult heroes for tomorrow's (Saturday's) FA Cup fourth and final qualifying round home tie with Stafford Rangers.

"Ginger Sex God" Steve Ward, a colossus at the heart of defence during Gulls' glory days of the past four years, has not responded as well as hoped to treatment for a leg injury and definitely misses out.

However, fellow central defender Ben Chenery returns after illness and Paul Cobb is expected to be fit to partner Neil Gregory in attack after recovering from a groin strain.

Despite the fact that one-time Nationwide Conference outfit Stafford are not enjoying the best of results recently - they've lost two Dr Martens League Premier matches in the past week under the watchful eye of Canvey "spy" Micky Bright - Islanders' coach Glenn Pennyfather expects a tough task for his troops tomorrow (Saturday). Find out more about Canvey Island FC "Micky has reported to us that Stafford really fancy themselves for this game. Let's hope they might come down and be a little over-confident," said Pennyfather.

"Certainly that won't happen to us. We will show them every respect, but if we perform to our capabilities on our own Park Lane patch I strongly fancy it will be us in the first round proper draw on Saturday evening."

Striker Paul Kiely has been picked out as a potential danger man for the visitors, but there's a real hunger in the home camp for a quick follow-up to that fabulous FA Cup run of last season, which only ended at the second round proper stage.

Said Pennyfather: "There's nothing quite like the FA Cup. Even with our FA Umbro Trophy win last season and our successes over the years in the Ryman League it was this competition which brought us into the national spotlight.

"Once you've experienced something like last year's run you badly want a repeat. Stafford are a club with a tremendous pedigree - they themselves won the FA Trophy twice in the 1970s - and we'll be looking to our fans to really get behind us and help ensure we have something to celebrate come 4.45pm."

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