Matt Warner thinks FA Cup clash could get Basingstoke Town back on track (From This is Hampshire)

Matt Warner thinks FA Cup clash could get Basingstoke Town back on track

1:00pm Friday 21st September 2012 in Hampshire Sport By John Boyman

MATT Warner is hoping that he and his Basingstoke Town team-mates can use Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Weymouth as a springboard to success.

The Camrose club have endured a tough start to the season, struggling with a long injury list, and they will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak against the Southern League outfit this weekend.

Warner said: “Hopefully we can get a positive result and put a bit of confidence back into the squad because it has been a difficult start for us.

“The good thing is that we have identified the problems and are looking to put them right in training. In previous years that has been overlooked and we have just been left to get on with it.

“Until now we have not been imposing ourselves and have perhaps been a little defensive but that is something we have looked at and it showed on Saturday. I was able to get a lot more crosses in from dangerous areas and create chances, which is what my game is about.”

The FA Cup will always be a special competition for Warner, whose place as a Town legend was assured six years ago, when he struck the only goal of the game as Basingstoke claimed a famous victory at Chesterfield.

“Of course I still have fantastic personal memories from 2006 but I thought last year at Brentford was fantastic as well,” he said. “We deserved something from the game and really showed what teams in our league can do.

“We are all very much looking forward to playing in the FA Cup again. Having been playing two league games a week for a while it is nice to have a break from that and play against teams we would not normally come up against.

“We cannot underestimate Weymouth though. They are going to come out enthusiastically and look to frustrate us but if we play like we know we can then we should win the game and hopefully score a few goals.”

Results may not quite have gone the way Warner would have liked so far this season – but he believes that the squad remains capable of challenging near the top of the Blue Square Bet South.

“Results have not gone our way but when everyone is available we know that we can compete,” the 27-year-old said. “There is a lot of expectation after the run we had at the end of last season but there is no reason why we cannot make the play-offs again.”