by DANNY RUST

MALDON and Tiptree boss Wayne Brown believes his players will relish the opportunity to shine on a big stage at Leyton Orient.

The sides are set to meet in the first round of the FA Cup on November 9.

BetVictor Isthmian League division north leaders Maldon will be playing in the first-round proper for the first time in their history and the draw was made - and broadcast live - from the Jammers’ Park Drive home on Monday night.

While he is looking forward to seeing his side in action at Brisbane Road, Brown would have preferred for the tie to take place on home soil.

“We wanted a Football League club and they get decent attendances in League Two, so it will be nice for the players to show what they can do in front of a big crowd," he said.

“Orient have a decent ground and it will be good for the lads to apply their football there.

“The only downside is that we probably would have preferred to have played them at home.

“Then we would have had more of a chance of being on TV and that would have made it more difficult for Orient.

“But, with Chichester City getting the bye, we are the lowest-ranked team still in the competition and we want to cause an upset if we can.”

The BBC television cameras rolled into Park Drive to broadcast the draw on Monday.

And Brown admits it was a memorable moment for the Isthmian North club.

The Jammers’ chief added: “We have made history getting this far and not many clubs have hosted the draw at their ground, so it was great exposure for the club.

“People work really hard for the club and it goes a long way.

"It was a fantastic occasion for people like chairman Ed Garty and everyone else who works behind the scenes."

Brown is hoping his Maldon outfit, who are the top scorers in the FA Cup so far this season, will be supported by the local community as they head to east London for an eye-catching first round tie with the O’s next month.

“I would hope the local people will get behind us because we have made a fantastic start to the season and the players deserve their backing,” admitted Brown, who took over as boss in the summer of 2018.

“It’s a rare opportunity for the local people to see their club in action at a Football League ground.

“Hopefully they will get behind us and travel to Orient in their numbers.”