City ready for trip to Gigg Lane
Manager Paul Tisdale has declared his side up for the cup as he prepares his side to face Bury this Saturday (3pm) at Gigg Lane in the first round of the FA Cup.
Tisdale believes the distraction of the FA Cup could kick-start some form for the Grecians.
He said: “A cup draw is only a good cup draw once you have won it and a bad draw once you have lost it.
“It is a game away from the league programme and I suppose both ourselves and Bury have not had a great run recently. I think we will both be using this for a kick-start for some better form and better results.
“It’s going to be a difficult game but we can win it. We’ve got no reason to worry it is a nice opportunity for having a break from the league.
“I won’t be resting players I will put the best team out that I can, depending who is fit."
The City manager will have to look back as far as 1931 to find the last time City beat Bury in the FA Cup.
In more recent times City have played Bury twice in the FA Cup.
In 2007 Paul Tisdale’s men travelled to Gigg Lane. The only member of today’s squad to be involved in that match was Steve Tully the right-sided player was an unused substitute that day. The match finished 1-0.
In 2010 City again travelled to Gigg Lane in the FA Cup and again they came off second best. A goal apiece from Efe Sodje and Tom Lees gave Bury the win that day. Current players Artur Krysiak, Tully, Liam Sercombe and Jamie Cureton were involved that day.
One positive for Tisdale this week is the return to fitness of creative force Alan Gow. The attacking-midfielder has completed his first full week's training in over 6 weeks.
Tidale said: “He is just about to complete his first full week's training in a long time that means that he is a good step ahead of the half-an-hour he played at Cheltenham.
“He will be playing more of a role in this game than he has in the past couple of week's.
“Alan is an asset, he’s got a lot of talent and can make things happen and create goals.
“He has been a fundamental part of our creative play at the start of the season.
“Alan being fit gives us more option.”
City will take confidence from their last meeting with Bury. The Grecians won 3-2 at home in last season’s League One encounter. The victory came thanks to first-half goals from Troy-Archibald-Henville, Daniel Nardiello and Richard Logan.
Bury have failed to win any of their first 13 league matches.
Bury have recorded four points from the last two games against Hartlepool and Walsall which has lifted them off the foot of the League One table.