NEIL Hards has a dossier "as thick as the Yellow Pages" on the team that stands between Winchester City and FA Vase glory at St Andrews tomorrow (3pm).

But no matter what the threat posed by last year's beaten finalists AFC Sudbury, Hards insists his free-scoring City side will persist with the all-out attacking flair that has yielded a phenomenal 228 goals in all competitions this season, including friendlies.

Hards said: "I've seen Sudbury twice, Gary Green (player/assistant manager) has been to see them and so have a couple of scouts.

"But at the end of the day, we could have watched them all season but it won't affect the way we play.

"Tomorrow is not about the opposition, it's about how we perform - and if we're at our best we'll have a great chance of winning."

Winchester, in only their second season in the competition, are Vase novices compared to Sudbury.

The Ridgeons Eastern Counties League champions were 2-1 beaten finalists to Brigg Town at West Ham last season and reached the semi-final the previous year.

But, having turfed out Mossley and Bideford along the road to Birmingham, City know they have what it takes to upset the fancied sides.

Hards, whose team are gearing up for the final with a two-night stay at The Belfry, said: "Bideford and Mossley were both good teams but we made them look ordinary on the day.

"We also knocked out Wroxham, who are in the same league as Sudbury and have beaten them home and away this year. But I don't think you can gauge other clubs like that.

"It all comes down to what we do. If we go out a bit sluggish, then we're going to get beat. But, like I've always said, if we're on the ball we'll give anyone a decent game of football.

"There's no one in this competition who's from a higher grade than us and the side that wins tomorrow can rightly say that they're the best at this level in the country."

AFC Wimbledon apart, Sydenhams Wessex champions Winchester are the most prolific scorers on their rung of the non-League ladder and, since Hards took over the reins 17 months ago, they have found the net almost 500 times.

In 108-goal duo Andy Forbes and Ian Mancey they possess arguably the country's most feared strike force at that level. Forbes alone has scored a staggering 75 times in 55 appearances this term.

Sudbury have also got a quality marksman in 39-goal former Chelmsford City striker Gary Bennett, but former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Hards insisted: "I won't make provisions for what their players do.

"Rather than insist on mantoman marking, I tend to go the other way and tell my lads to concentrate on their own game.

"Regardless of what, we're an attacking side. That's always been my philosophy.

"If we get beaten 109 tomorrow, then so be it. It's the way we want to play.

"We get a buzz when we're attacking and I'm not going to stop any player getting forward. I've got so many flair players in the side that we can create goals at any given opportunity.

"If I put restrictions on them, it will stop their natural game."

"I've got belief in the players and their ability. That's why we've picked up five trophies in the last 18 months."

Whatever the result at St Andrews, Winchester's heroes will be welcomed home with a party at the Denplan City Ground tomorrow evening.

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