Gosport Borough boss Shaun Gale hoping home advantage will be crucial in FA Cup replay with Hamworthy

Boro have won all three Southern League Premier South game on home turf in 2022/23, scoring 11 times in the process.

On Wednesday they host lower tier Hamworthy United in a first qualifying round replay (7.45pm) following last weekend’s goalless stalemate on a 3G pitch in Dorset.

Gale was happy to get a second chance after Boro had been forced to play almost half the game with striker Dan Wooden in goal.

That was after keeper Pat O’Flaherty had been dismissed for bringing down a home player outside his 18-yard box.

Previewing the replay, Gale told The News: ‘It will be a tight game, a tough game. They’re a good side and they made it awkward for us on Saturday.

‘Before the game, I said to my players that we would need to play well. We played ok, we didn’t play well.

‘Now we’re at home, on grass, and in front of our own fans.

‘Our big players will need to play well. I can’t moan about our home form so far. We’ve done ok away, just 45 minutes at Weston and 45 minutes at Chesham cost us.

‘I’m under no illusions, I’ve been around the FA Cup long enough … the important thing is we do things correctly.

‘We want an FA Cup run, but Hamworthy will be thinking the same. They’ve got a winning mentality and momentum. They have a good spirit in their camp, but so do we.

‘In front of our fans, I’m hoping for a good performance but, more importantly, I’m hoping to win.’

Gale said his squad could be boosted by the return of two ‘senior’ players, though he is keeping their identity quiet.

The prize on offer is a home tie in the second qualifying round against Paulton Rovers, who like Hamworthy play a rung below Gosport on the non-league ladder.

O’Flaherty, meanwhile, has been handed a one-game ban for his red card - ruling him out of this weekend’s league game against his former club Salisbury.

Gale is planning to draft another keeper in for that game, but said: ‘Ideally I’d like to get another keeper in (permanently) to fight for a place with Pof (O’Flaherty).

‘It’s hard to run with just one keeper, though we’ve got by so far, apart from the hiccup last Saturday.’