ECCLESHILL United have the opportunity to claim a minor scalp in the FA Cup today and they have every reason to believe that they can do so.

They travel to Northern Premier League (Division One West) outfit, Vauxhall Motors in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round for a 3pm kick-off.

The prospect of facing a side in the division above isn’t unsettling The Eagles, but instead they’re buoyed by the opportunity after kicking-off their NCEL Premier Division campaign strongly last weekend.

They put in an eye-catching performance to get a 2-2 draw at home to promotion favourites, Rossington Main.

In all honestly, Eccleshill could have been out of sight before the break as they raced into a 2-0 lead, but they can be more than satisfied with how they have started the new season.

Reflecting on last weekend’s draw, manager Lee Elam said: “We started really well and should have been further ahead at half-time.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t hold on to the lead, but the performance was very good and it’s given us something to build on.

“Everything that we’ve worked on in pre-season came out in spells on Saturday, which is always a positive for the team and coaches.

“We’ve shown what level we can perform at now, so it’s about trying to replicate that level of performance as much as possible.

“We know that we can be better in terms of moving up places in the top half of the table, and if we continue to put that level of performance in on a frequent basis, then we have a great opportunity to push on and compete at the right end of the league.”

Looking ahead to this weekend’s fixture at Vauxhall Motors, Elam admitted that the FA Cup brings an added excitement to the footballing calendar.

He said: “We’re all looking forward to it because the competition is special to so many people.

“As a coach, and I know the players will too, you get that extra lift when the FA Cup comes around, and you always want to do well.

“The competition has been good for me as a player. I’ve made the 3rd round and had the experience of playing against some good teams.

“These are the memories that last a lifetime, so I’m hoping that my boys can experience the highs of this competition.

“Of course, it will be a tough game against a strong Vauxhall side, but if we do get through this round then the competition can begin to open up.

“It’s important that the team remain focused, defend resolutely and then the opportunities might start to come our way.

“It would be great to go on a cup run with the club.”