Bath City and Forest Green could meet in FA Cup second round

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Monday, November 09, 2009
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This is Bristol

Bath City manager Adie Britton saw his side drawn at home to non-League opposition in the second round of the FA Cup and declared: "The dream is alive".

Bath are just 90 minutes away from the chance of playing against a Premier League side following Saturday's first-round giant-killing act at Grimsby Town and will face the winners of the replay between Mansfield Town and Forest Green Rovers at Twerton Park.

The chance of facing the likes of Leeds United, Southampton or Norwich City had gone by the time Bath's ball – No 2 – was drawn by former England international Tony Woodcock in the live televised draw at Wembley Stadium.

Britton heard the news over the telephone from captain Jim Rollo, who was watching the draw on the big screen, along with an army of expectant Bath fans, in Charlie's bar at Twerton Park.

"We wanted a draw that gave us a glimmer of hope and this one does – the dream is still alive," said Britton. "Any game is going to be difficult at this stage of the competition but we'll prepare properly and focus on it as we have done in each of the previous rounds.

"In the first game at Willand we had seven or eight lads out injured and, gradually, as we've been on this run, more and more have come back, to the point where at Grimsby we had a full squad for the first time since pre-season.

"Our performances have improved as a result and we'll look forward to this tie. Whoever it is against, we will be the underdogs as they are both in the division above, but we are at home and have the opportunity to make the third round for the first time in 16 years."

Forest Green and Mansfield drew 1-1 at the New Lawn on Saturday and replay a week tomorrow.

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