Bath City director of football Adie Britton has warned his side to learn from their painful FA Cup exit of two years ago when Poole Town visit Twerton Park on Saturday (3pm).
The Dorset visitors have won all but one of their matches this season and set the pace at the top of the Southern Premier Division table. They are in a similar position to the one Gosport Borough - now playing in Vanarama Conference South - occupied when they scored a 3-1 replay win over City in 2012.
At the time, City were still reeling from a disastrous second season in the Conference Premier and the defeat saw Britton move to the role of director of football and Lee Howells assume the title of first-team coach.
"Poole are definitely a club on the up, interestingly a bit like Gosport Borough were a couple of years back," said Britton. "We know they are a strong side going forward and have some good players, we know a bit about them now but we will know a lot more by Saturday. It's going to be a very, very, tough test.
"Yet in a funny sort of way the better the opposition in the early rounds of the cup, the more it means the lads will be in the right frame of mind for it because they know they have a challenge.
"There is a danger when you play sides you perceive to be lesser, then the players don't turn up. There won't be any of that on Saturday.
"At least at home we know the surface. I remember us going to Buckland. It was frightening. The week before they had won about 7-0, it was a difficult surface, and then after an hour, one of their lads knocked it in from about thirty yards. All the worst visons go through your mind. As it was we pulled that one back but it was tough.
"These are meaningful, big games. We have had some good times in the cup – Dagenham, Forest Green and Grimsby – and some not such good times. However, given the financial consequences, you are so aware how important it is.
"We are keen to progress because if you get through to the first round of the FA Cup that is the best single day of the season."
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