Injury worries ahead of Golds’ FA Vase tie

Keeper Jon Hendrick, right-back Adam Goff, and midfielders Liam O’Connor and Michael Hendrick are all rated at 50-50 for the game by Golds boss Mark Bennett, while strikers Danny Hand and Jason Jarvis are both serving a one-game suspension.

Bennett played for Golds when they reached the FA Vase semi-finals in the 1990-91 season, and on the upcoming tie said: “We’re all looking forward to it. We’re struggling a bit for players but that’s the way things go. Jon Hendrick is one of the best keepers around, so we’d obviously miss him but we have a good deputy in James Askew.

“The league remains the most important thing and we’ll just go out there to enjoy it.”

Flackwell are top of the Hellenic League and Bennett said: “No one gave us a chance in the last round at Camberley and no one’s expecting us to win this game.

“There’s no pressure on the players, so we can just go out and enjoy it but, on our day, I know that we could beat them and, hopefully, there will be a good crowd there to watch the game.”

Golds have reached the second round with wins over Haywards Heath (2-0, after 3-3 draw), Arundel (2-1) and Camberley (2-1).

Flackwell, who have won 13 of their 17 league games, have so far beaten Windsor (3-1) and Clanfield (2-0) in this year’s competition.

If the game is drawn, the replay will take place at Flackwell on Tuesday.

The winners of the tie receive £1,200 prize money.