Eight places higher, but we are the underdogs...!

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Woking v Eastleigh - FA Cup 4th Qualfiying Round

By Wendy Gee -

EASTLEIGH may sit eight places above tomorrow's FA Cup hosts Woking in the Blue Square Bet South.

But Spitfires boss Ian Baird still ranks his side as the underdogs for the fourth qualifying round clash at the Kingfield Stadium.

While current form suggests the Spitfires have a slight edge, history and tradition rests firmly in favour of a Woking side managed by Baird's fellow ex-Saint Graham Baker.

Compared to the Surrey club, Eastleigh are new boys on the upper non-League block.

Seven seasons ago they were still a Wessex League club and it was only last year that they made their first venture into the FA Cup first round proper.

Woking, on the other hand, spent 17 years in the Conference National until being relegated in the summer of 2009.
FA Cup-wise, they wrote themselves into non-League folklore in 1990/91 when they came back from a goal behind to beat then second tier West Bromwich Albion 4-2 in the third round at the Hawthorns thanks to a hattrick from Tim Buzaglo.

Baird was a pro at the time and the shock waves of that result still stand out in his memory.

"Woking are a club with a big, big history." said Baird. "They were a Conference side for years and are probably the biggest club in the Conference South.

"My memories of Woking go back to my days playing pro football when they went away and beat West Brom.

"They're by far a bigger club than us in terms of non-League history and they're still a very good side.

"Graham (Baker) has done a good job there. He got them into the play-offs last season after relegation and they failed to go up by a whisker.

"It looks as if they might have had a bit of a reaction to that this season, but, knowing Graham and his assistant Jimmy Dack as I do, they will put things right.

"Tomorrow is a huge game for both club. We all know what the prize is. It's an opportunity to get into the first round proper and get a big draw."

Both clubs made the first round proper last season - Woking losing 1-0 at three divisions higher Swindon and Eastleigh dashed 2-1 in the less glamorous surroundings of Barrow.

"We didn't get much luck with the draw last year and then lost three minutes into stoppage time, so it would be nice to have luck on our side this time," said Baird.

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