We'll never win it but a decent run would be nice for everyone.
After the pre-season we've had and having seen some of the performances the squad have shown in some of those games, notably against Eastbourne Borough and East Grinstead Town, the mood within the squad, club and fans prior to Saturday's game against Farnham Town in the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round was very good.
However, what you do and how you play in pre-season means nothing and it's not until you play your very first competitive game can you judge anything and even then one game does not make a season either good or bad.
There's no doubt that there's a degree of expectation around the squad and club that we may be able to build on last season's seventh placed finish in the SCEFL and with that in mind, that we may have better runs than we have had of late in the FA Cup and the FA Vase competitions. Our record after all in the past three seasons in the FA Cup has seen us knocked out at the very first hurdle and we've never got out of the stalls.
Of course, the opposition will also want to progress and our visitors, Farnham Town, did have their own hoodoo to overcome, having not won an FA Cup tie away from home since the very first time they entered it, back in season 1948/49 I believe. Therefore, each team had their own reason for wanting to get to the next round where Carshalton Athletic would await the victors.
When the game started it was the visitors who started on the front foot and kept the Crows in their half and our defence under pressure for a good 15-20 minutes before the Crows could get a foot-hold of the game and the ball. Once they did it was the visitor's 'keeper, Petts, had to make two very two good saves to keep the Crows at bay and Mici especially.
Farnham still looked a threat from any set piece, such as corners and free kicks and it was from a corner that they took the lead, slightly against the run of play, in the 28th minute, Ramsden heading in at the back post after out-jumping the Crows defence.
The Crows could have gone 2-0 down but goalkeeper Collick made a great save low down when the Town forward was clean through on goal and in retrospect I'm sure he feels he should have scored.
The rest of the half was very much played in the Farnham half and in and around their penalty area but the opportunities the forwards had were not that clean cut and those that were/ the Town defenders put their bodies on the line and threw themselves at the ball to stop it reaching Petts or the back of the net.
So the half time whistle blew with the Crows losing 1-0 and with a need to improve their overall individual performances if they were to get back in to the game.
The second half started with no substitutions on either side and the one thing you cannot do if you're trying to get back in to a match is concede an early goal, unfortunately, that's what happened as Corbett tucked the ball away nicely from a Dillon cross after he had got to the by-line, cut the ball back from inside the Crows penalty area.
With us being 2-0 down now the first substitution was made, Biddlecombe replacing Mici in the 56th minute but instead of the Crows getting the next goal, it was Farnham in the 58th minute, Corbett again the scoring with a scruffy effort but a goal is a goal and they were 3-0 up.
in the 60th minute Treleaven came on for Clarke and it at least led to us having more chances in and around their box and more shots on goal, one of Treleaven's efforts hitting the bar and going out for a goal kick.
The home side still had the greater amount of possession and the Town defenders were still throwing themselves about to block shots but still look a threat on the break and from one potential breakaway Walder became the first player to get booked by referee Owen for a tackle by the dugouts. This led to a few handbags but in the end everything settled down and play resumed.
After 72 minutes Whiddett went off for Farnham and Clarke replaced him whilst Ridley went off for the Crows, Waterman replacing him. The match carried on in reality much had it done before and in the 81st minute Cardoza, who had been a constant threat to the Crows, was replaced by Smith.
Eventually though the pressure did tell on the Farnham defence, Muggeridge tucking the ball away nicely after good work by Biddlecombe in their penalty area to make it 3-1 with 5 minutes plus stoppage time to go.
Ramsden saw his name go in to the book for protesting too much to the referee but they held out for the win that they deserved in the end just for their resolute defending throughout the game.
In reality, they played harder than we did, played to their strengths and took their chances when they came along whilst the Crows did not take theirs well enough, seemed to be off the pace slightly and did not pass the ball well enough throughout the 90 minutes.
It could be argued that Farnham Town had at least played a competitive game before facing us, they played a league game away against Badshot Lea on Tuesday night, winning 2-1, however, that would be making excuses for a lower than anticipated Crows performance on the day.
Our dismal run in the FA Cup continues and that's now four seasons on the trot that we've failed to win the first game and all we can do is to say we'll concentrate on the league now, except I personally would have liked to have a good cup run, plus the prize money is always nice, still there's always next season now.