Chelmsford City face their strongest challenge of the season on Saturday, when they entertain unbeaten Folkestone Invicta, championship favourites, but manager Gary Bellamy has no qualms that his young chargers will up to the task and is confident of a win.

The game, between the second and third placed league sides at New Lodge, Billericay (kick off 3pm) is expected to attract the first 1,000 crowd of the season.

"After our fine show in the cup at Aylesbury, where I felt we played exceptionally well and controlled the game throughout, we should have no worries about tackling this one," he said. "Consistency is the key to winning thing and the players know what is expected of them.

"Folkestone are a good, experienced side that narrowly missed out on promotion last season so it will be our biggest test so far," he continued. "They are particularly strong in midfield so we will have to combat that."

The manager will have the luxury of the return of the experienced John Girling in defence and it becomes of who he leaves out from the 11 who played so well at Aylesbury.

This means that young Kevin Dobinson could be moved up into midfield to add extra strength, particularly with Brian Sutton who will miss the next week or so with a groin injury.

City, who have another tough away league match at Fisher Athletic on Tuesday (kick off 7.45pm), need to on their game for both encounters against sides that have far more experienced players.

Next week, City host Moor Green, unbeaten leaders of the Dr Martens Western Divis-ion, in the third round of the FA Cup to be followed by an equally diifficult FA Trophy ties against Sittingbourne a week later.

"These next four games will provide us with the opportunity to see how far we have progressed," he said.

"But I am confident that if we kept playing our football and approach these games in the right frame of mine then we can be succsessful," he said. "We showed it at Aylesbury so we know they can do it - but they have to be consistent.''

The manager, who journeyed to Evesham on Tuesday night to spy on Moor Green, knows that to beat them in the cup will give City a comparatively easier next tie, en route to the first round proper, with the winners playing away to either Farnham, Herne Bay or Horsham YMCA.

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