BURNHAM manager Paul Shone believes his side have nothing to lose and everything to gain from their much-anticipated FA Cup match at Billericay Town this Saturday (3pm).

The Blues have been on an upward curve this season and already beaten three higher-league clubs to reach the second qualifying round - accruing over £11,000 in prize money along the way.

However, that is a drop in the ocean to big-spending Billericay who are currently second in the National League South and 87 places above Burnham in the English football pyramid.

Billericay announced Dean Brennan as their new manager in midweek and his first job will be to see off the minnows from Hellenic Division One East, but stranger things have happened in the FA Cup.

Shone told the Observer: “People will not expect us to get anything and some have already written us off.

“When you look at the quality of players Billericay have people might be right to give us no chance, but we will go about our business and give it our best shot.

“Our boys know that if they don’t turn up and perform then they’ll get walloped, but it can work both ways.

“Billericay probably won’t give us any respect and will think they have a right to win, but look what happened to Bury Town in the previous round.

“If we can frustrate them for small periods then you never know, their players might start to do things that they shouldn’t.

“I’m confident they boys can run them close if they do the right things. We can hurt them if we do our jobs.

“It’s a match we’re all looking forward to and we will give a good account of ourselves. You need that little bit of luck in games like this, but you make your own luck in football.

“We won’t make it easy for them but if we do win people will probably say it was a miracle.

“We’re not expecting to get anything but, if we can frustrate them from the start, then we will see what happens.

“It’ll be a great day out for the players and the club will make money from it as well.”

Burnham head to the AGP Arena following a 5-3 league win against AFC Aldermaston at The Gore on Tuesday.

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