WINCHESTER City boss Neil Hards says streamlining his squad for Sunday's FA Vase final was the hardest job he's ever had to do in football.
Of the 19 players available, City could only name 16 for what will be the biggest game in the club's history against AFC Sudbury at St Andrews (3pm).
After endless deliberations and sleepness nights, Hards finally had to break the heartbreaking news to defenders Kieron Hall and Steve Waite and midfielder Kevin Brewster that they hadn't made the cut.
Hards confessed: "It wasn't a pleasant experience.
"I didn't sleep for two nights beforehand where I was going through all the permutations and tossing ideas around in my head.
"It's not just me who says what we do and how we do it. I spoke to Gary Green and Mark Blake (player/assistant managers) and to the coach Steve Moss and it was a collective decision between the three of us.
"We were still talking about in the dressing room right up to the last minute when the lads came in for training on Tuesday.
"It was horrible having to tell them, but you can't squeeze 19 players into 16 places and, to a certain degree, sentiment has to go out the window.
"We've selected the squad we think is capable of winning."
Portsmouth-based Hards knows at first hand how the three disappointed players must be feeling.
As a 17-year-old goalkeeper with Plymouth Argyle, he was all geared up to play on his home-town turf at Fratton Park, but was told an hour before kick-off that he wasn't in the side.
He recalled: "That devastated me, especially as they left it so late. There's no easy way to tell people, but I tried to do the right thing by our lads and give them time to get their heads round it.
"I had a great reaction from them. Their attitude was first class, as it has been all season. They're still coming up to Birmingham with us and they're still going to be involved in the dressing room and go out for the warm-up with the rest of the boys.
"Nothing's changed. They're part of the squad who have helped get us to the final. We're in this together and the club will make sure they all get a medal."
City's only injury question mark was over skipper Danny Smith, who missed the Sydenhams Wessex Cup final win over Bemerton on Bank Holiday Monday with a twisted pelvis.
But the 21-year-old former AFC Bournemouth midfielder has come through two full training sessions with no problem.
"He's okay," confirmed Hards, "But Danny being Danny, he'd say he was fit even if he had a broken leg!"
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