FA Trophy countdown: Hawks have ‘nothing to be afraid of’ against National League Notts County

And he is backing his old club to repeat the feat when they face the same opposition on Saturday.

Poate was part of the Hawks team that claimed a 1-0 FA Cup second round victory at Meadow Lane in December 2007.

On that occasion, League Two County were two divisions above the Westleigh Park outfit but were on the end of an upset.

Should Hawks make it a cup double over Notts County - this time in the FA Trophy last-16 - it would arguably not be as big a surprise with just a division and 26 places separating the teams in the pyramid.

And Poate believes Paul Doswell's side are in with a good chance of following in the footsteps of what was achieved 14 years ago.

He said: ‘Hawks have got a good side, they’ve definitely got a strong side.

‘They’re looking at getting promoted from the Conference South into the National League.

‘I know Notts County will be looking to go back into the Football League.

‘It’s a cup tie, give it all you got for 90 minutes and see where it takes you.

‘It’s going to be a tight game, definitely, it won’t be a one-sided game no doubt.

‘At the end of the day they’re just footballers, if they have an off day then you know you’re going to have half a chance.

‘Most of their players (Hawks) have played National League level anyway.

‘They’ve got nothing to be afraid of. Obviously Notts County will be slight favourites but I’m sure the Havant players will give a good account themselves and I’m sure they’ll run them all the way.'

Hawks famously went onto face Liverpool and, incredibly, led twice before falling to a 5-2 fourth round defeat at Anfield the same season they defeated Notts County.

Poate was part of a side that overcame higher league opponents in York City, Notts and Swansea on that remarkable run.

But he recalled his afternoon’s work at Meadow Lane as one of his 'easier' during that memorable journey.

‘They definitely underestimated us,' added Poate, currently a coach at Southern League Moneyfields after calling time on his playing career last summer.

‘I was playing left-back at the time and their right winger I knew was a centre-half by trade because he played for Pompey when he was younger and he was the year below me.

‘I genuinely thought when we lined up that I had quite an easy afternoon.

‘I knew he couldn’t run in behind me because he was a centre-half/right-back and it ended up being one of the easiest games I had in that cup run, personally.

‘I think once we beat York (in the first round) away there was a sense that whoever we got we’d give a good account of ourselves.

‘Notts County, as I say, it was still a tough game but it wasn’t as if they were by far better than us.'