‘I don’t think you can disrespect anyone in this league’ – Horsham FC told to take nothing for granted ahead of Walton & Hersham test
Dominic Di Paola insisted Horsham FC couldn’t afford to take anything for granted ahead of tomorrow’s home clash with lowly Walton & Hersham.
The Swans sit second-from-bottom in the National League South – but the Surrey outfit have won their last two games under new manager Ruben Gaspar.
Walton & Hersham picked up a vital 3-1 victory at Braintree Town on October 6 before edging out AFC Totton 1-0 away from home in their most recent fixture on October 10.
The two sides have already met this season, with Horsham running out 3-0 winners at Walton & Hersham in the FA Cup second qualifying round on September 19.
Following the 14th-placed Hornets’ home encounter with the Swans, they visit Maidenhead United – 18th at the time of writing – on Tuesday before making the trip to Farnborough – in 17th – next Saturday.
But despite Horsham’s next three National League South games coming against opposition who currently lie below them in the table, Di Paola stressed it would be foolish to ‘disrespect anyone in this league’.
He told us: “I’ve never targeted a game and gone, that’s one we can win or lose.
“I think we won a lot of games last year against teams like Dagenham, Torquay and Ebbsfleet. I don’t think you can disrespect anyone in this league.
“Farnborough’s manager is forever signing new players, and he’ll keep signing players until he gets a tune out of the team, Walton & Hersham have won their last two, Maidenhead will probably be up there, so I feel like there’s nothing we can take for granted here.
“We just need to attack all those games and see where we pick up points. Ebbsfleet have been smashing people but we took a point off them – you just don’t know in this league.
“Not that I’m a gambler, but who’d put money on our league? If there’s 12 games in the league, six of them are going to be a shock or a surprise. It’s just that sort of league.”
Lee Harding is the Hornets’ only major injury doubt for tomorrow – but fatigue may influence Di Paola’s squad selection.
He added: “Lee has done something to his calf but we had to play him at Ebbsfleet because it was the right thing to do.
“I think most of our players are fatigued or have picked up knocks. I don’t think we’ll be able to train this week – but that’s the least of our problems.”