Racing Club Warwick are back on the FA Cup trail tomorrow when they host Stourport Swifts in the preliminary round at Townsend Meadow.
Bobby Hancocks’ men, who opened their campaign with a 6-2 walloping of lowly Cadbury Athletic earlier this month, will take on the underdog role this time against their Southern League visitors.
Stourport have six points from four Division One Mi
dlands matches this season and had a bye in the extra-preliminary round.
Racing had an up-and-down week in the Aspire Midland Alliance, winning 4-1 at Cradley Town on Saturday - their first three points of the season - but following it with a bank holiday 6-0 mauling at Westfields.
A defensive horror show was the main cause of Monday’s rout at the hands of a side without a win in their previous four outings. Racing were four goals down by half-time, although Jason Ramsey, Tim Orford and Junior Christie might all have scored for the visitors.
Two more goals followed in the second half, making it a day to forget for Hancocks and his team - in marked contrast to the 4-1 win at Cradley.
The Black Country side struggled throughout last season but have made a decent start this time - Saturday excepted.
Orford put Racing ahead after five minutes with a low shot into the corner of the net and Ramsey doubled the lead half-way through the second period. Cradley pulled one back in the closing stages but there was still time for Racing to grab two more - both by Martin Crawford from quality Orford crosses.
Hancocks said: “It was a really good performance and I can’t put my finger on why things went so wrong on Monday because there were only two changes to the side.”
Racing are scheduled to travel to Causeway United on Tuesday (7.45pm), but if the FA Cup game requires a replay that will take precedence.
Racing have been handed a Warwickshire derby at Southern Premier Division Rugby Town in round one of the Birmingham Senior Cup on Tuesday September 16.
n Racing Club’s under-18s opened their Midland Floodlit Youth League season with a good performance for a 2-2 draw with strong Rugby Town at Townsend Meadow.
The hosts, fielding several members of last season’s under-16s, acquitted themselves with great determination and spirit. Rugby were two goals up by the break, but Racing pulled one back after an hour when Lee Sallis and Jake Wright combined to set up Henry Leaver for a volley.
Leaver levelled it from the penalty spot when a Jamie Sweeney corner was handled in the box some 15 minutes from time.
The full article contains 457 words and appears in Leamington Courier newspaper.
