Horlock excited by 'free hit' FA Cup tie

Kevin Horlock was previously in charge at Needham Market

Maldon and Tiptree manager Kevin Horlock insists they will not be "rabbits in the headlights" in their forthcoming FA Cup first round tie at Port Vale.

The game at Vale Park on 2 November will be screened live on TV as the Jammers, who are the lowest ranked team left in the competition, try to reach round two for only the second time in their history.

Former Manchester City and Ipswich Town defender Horlock recently claimed they have the "best step-four team ever assembled" following a takeover by the Drewitt-Barlow Organisation in February.

"I'm fully aware that we'll have to have the best game we've ever had and will probably need them to underperform, and a little bit of luck," Horlock told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"You never know in the FA Cup - the biggest thing for me is that it is a free hit, we're not going to be favourites to win that game, so we can go there and enjoy it.

"We've got players that have played at that (League One) level, so we're not going to go in there and be rabbits in the headlights, we'll hopefully put on a good performance and who knows where that takes us."

The Maldon squad includes several players with experience of the English Football League and above including Freddie Sears, Macaulay Bonne, Gary Hooper, Anthony Wordsworth and Tom Eastman, as well as some exciting youngsters.

"In my managerial career, they are the easy ones to manage because they know what it takes, they know how to prepare," said Horlock.

"That's the reason we brought them in - one, their quality but two, to handle the pressure because we have got a target on our backs, people are looking at us to fail."

They are two points clear at the top of Isthmian League North Division - five tiers below Port Vale - but suffered their first defeat of the season against Felixstowe & Walton United last weekend.

"Sometimes football is good at giving you a little reminder that you've still got to work really hard," Horlock added.

"Good, confident sailors weren't made on a calm sea. You've got to face adversity at times, come up with different ways to win games of football, so that will help me."