RICHARD Hill has declared himself "privileged" to be leading Eastleigh into the FA Cup first round proper for only the second time in their history.
Following Saturday's excellent 1-0 win at Kidderminster, the Spitfires have been drawn at home to the winners of tonight's all-Vanarama Conference replay between Lincoln City and Alfreton Town at Sincil Bank.
Chewing over the draw, Hill who was due to head off to Lincoln after training today, said: “From a selfish point of view it would have been nice to have played a Football League team because it would have been another first for the club.
“But this is only the second time the club have reached this stage of the competition and I feel privileged to be one of only two managers in Eastleigh’s history to be leading them into the first round of the FA Cup – and with a home fixture.
“This is a great time to be Eastleigh manager and, if you speak to the lads, they’ll tell you it’s a great time to be an Eastleigh player too. So I’m damned sure it must be a great time to be an Eastleigh fan and I just hope we get a decent crowd in. It’s a big, big help to us if the fans turn up in numbers and get behind us.
“We’re trying to make Eastleigh a difficult place for the opposition to come to and I’d love a real good FA Cup atmosphere.
“We don’t know yet if it’s going to be Lincoln or Alfreton and I’ve got another late night coming up tonight. As always, we’ll give our opponents the respect they deserve and prepare properly, just as we did when we played Mangotsfield last season.”
The Spitfires’ first ever venture into the first round proper came in November 2009 when Hill’s predecessor Ian Baird was in charge. Then a Conference South club playing Conference National opposition, Eastleigh levelled in the 85th-minute away at rain-swept Barrow, only to lose a tie they had dominated 2-1 in stoppage time.
Potentially it could be a hectic FA Cup weekend ahead in Hampshire with as many as four other ties to be played up and down the county over the weekend of November 7-10.
Portsmouth have been drawn at home to Aldershot Town, while Gosport Borough will mark their first ever appearance in the first round proper by welcoming League One Colchester United to Privett Park.
If Lee Bradbury's Havant & Waterlooville make it through tonight’s replay against Canvey Island at Westleigh Park, they too would be at home to Preston North End of League One.
And if Basingstoke Town can beat Harrow Borough at the second time of asking, they would host the winners of the Spennymoor versus AFC Telford replay.
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