PREVIEW: Horsham

United host Isthmian League Premier Division outfit Horsham FC at Brunton Park in the first-round proper of this season's Emirates FA Cup competition on Saturday.

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Horsham have had to work extremely hard to get this far, having come up against tough opposition from the moment they kicked things off.

The West Sussex based side faced Haywards Heath Town away in the first qualifying round and they needed two bites of the cherry as they were held to a 1-1 draw. They put that right in the replay with a comfortable 2-0 win.

Another replay was needed following a 1-1 away stalemate against Kingstonian in qualifying round two. The record was set straight when former Brighton, Crawley and Tranmere forward Shamir Fenelon netted the only goal of the second encounter.

On to a keenly contested third qualfying round meeting with Eastbourne Borough, and it was another game that went all the way (and could have gone either way) with the visitors battling their way to a 2-2 draw. Horsham overcame the disappointment of having to go on their travels to do the job when the powerful Eddie Dsane bagged the crucial goal. in the nervy second meeting.

Just under 2,000 fans witnessed another humdinger as National League side Woking made the trip to The Camping World Community Stadium, but the nail-biting proved to be worth it when Tom Kavanagh struck with just three minutes left to play. The scalp was claimed, and the mammoth journey to Cumbria confirmed when the live draw on ITV for round one proper pointed the Hornets towards Carlisle.

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The positive FA Cup run means that Horsham have two games in hand on most of their close rivals, and that could prove to be vital as they struggle to find league points and results. 

They thought they'd turned a corner at the end of August with a convincing and morale boosting 3-0 home win over Merstham, but that has been their only league success so far, with a worrying seven defeats from the other 10 outings they've had.

Led by the popular Dominic Di Paola, the feeling is that it just needs something to click and, of course, a good FA Cup showing could well provide the much-needed spark.

Di Paolo spent his playing days with Worthing and Worthing United and has a wealth of experience in coaching and management. He took his first steps as head coach at the tender age of 25 with West Sussex League side Clymping FC.

He led them to promotion in his second season in charge before taking the helm at his former club Worthing. He went on to win five trophies in four years, and that earned him a place in the Ryman League with Hastings.

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A summer recruit, the experienced Shamir Fenelon brings a potent threat to an already mobile front line.

His former clubs include Brighton, Tonbridge Angels (loan), Torquay (loan), Rochdale (loan), Tranmere Rovers (loan), Dagenham & Redbridge (loan), Crawley Town, Whitehawk (loan), Aldershot Town, Maidenhead United and Billericay Town.

Capped twice at U21 level for the Republic of Ireland, he followed in the footsteps of his younger brother Chamal, who played for the Hornets in 2007/8.

A real presence and a player who knows where the net is, he's our one to watch at the weekend.

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Referee - Lewis Smith
Assistant Referee 1 - David Avent
Assistant Referee 2 - Daniel Woodward
Fourth Official - Adam Williamson
Observer - Roy Pearson

Lewis has taken charge of six games so far this season and has shown 19 yellow cards and one red.

This is the first time he has taken charge of a game involving the Blues.

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The Paddock will be open for terracing. The Pioneer Stand and B, C and D stand will be open for seating. The Warwick Road End will be closed for this fixture. 

Season ticket holders will receive half price tickets which can only be purchased over the phone or in person until 5pm on Friday 5 November. Half price tickets for season ticket holders WILL NOT be available on the day of the game. 

Season ticket holder seats in the Pioneer, B, C and D stands are reserved. You have until 5pm on Friday 5 November to purchase your reserved seat. Season ticket seats will not be reserved on the day of the game. 

Seating and terracing prices 

  Pre-match Match day Season ticket
Adult £14 £16 £7
Senior 65+ £12 £14 £6
U18 £5 £5 £2.50
U7  FOC   FOC   FOC  
Wheelchair £4 £4 £2

Methods of purchase:

In person – come to the main ticket office in the Pioneer Stand at the designated time. Ticket sales on home match days will be from the West Stand ticket office. 
 
Phone – ring the ticket office on 0330 094 5930 at the designated times and pay with a credit / debit card.
 
Internet – click HERE and follow the online instructions. Please note - half price tickets for season ticket holders cannot be purchased online. 

The game is part of the weekend's BBC TV package, with a single camera function to provide clips and highlights.

Read Time: 4 mins