DEFEAT to a first-minute own goal is not the dream start to the season for any manager, but Godmanchester Rovers boss David Hurst says his team have the perfect opportunity to bounce back in the FA Cup.

Ridgeons First Division

Godmanchester Rovers 0 Whitton United 1

DEFEAT to a first-minute own goal is not the dream start to the season for any manager, but Godmanchester Rovers boss David Hurst says his team have the perfect opportunity to bounce back in the FA Cup.

Rovers suffered an opening-day defeat to Whitton United on Saturday after Hayden Beasley put through his own net with the season just seconds old.

But Hurst, now sole manager after Karly Hurst moved to the position of general manager, said that he feels Goddy can end two seasons of underachievement this year, starting against AFC Kempston in the FA Cup extra preliminary round on Saturday.

“We’ve strengthened over the summer, and restructured things off the field to help us on the field

“We’ve probably underachieved for the past two years, and now we need to start making up for it,” said Hurst.

“I know what the league is about from my experience of the past two years, and I think we’re good enough to compete in the league and in the cups.”

“I think we can make the top six this year – and if we don’t make it I’ll be disappointed.”

Rovers enjoyed the club’s best-ever run in last season’s FA Cup, before being dispatched by Northampton Spencer in the first qualifying round, but Hurst hopes that a positive result on Saturday could feed back into their league form.

“We had a stroke of bad luck on Saturday, so we’re hoping that we’ll get paid back at some point in the season.

“It’d be nice if that happened against Kempston, but we know they are a good strong UCL team, so we’ll have to be at our best.

“It would be great to get a good crowd down to Bearscroft Lane to encourage the lads as well.”

Rovers face Saffron Walden tonight (Wednesday) in Ridgeons Division One, and Hurst said they would present a similar challenge to Kempston.

“That’ll be a good test for us ahead of the FA Cup game – they are both strong and direct teams – and we’ll have to pit out wits against both of them.”

Rovers enjoyed a positive pre-season, winning four matches and losing to a Cambridge United XI, as Hurst tries to adjust the team’s style.

“We’ve been trying to play it out a little bit more from the back, and use the long ball less. With the players we have brought in, I’m confident that we can kick on from last season.”