Biggleswade Town aim for another cup shock as Farnborough Town await

The Waders stunned Isthmian Premier Division side Billericay Town 3-0 to leave them one game away from the holy grail of the first round proper.

And the former Stevenage academy manager insists his players have the quality on their day to beat a side two divisions above.

“We’ve got a fair amount of footage and intel on them already, we’ll go into that game very well prepared and it will be a case of if we can execute our game plan we’ve got a chance,” said O’Keefe.

“We’ve got players who are above the level we’re playing in, we’ve recruited really well in the summer.

“It possibly doesn’t show yet but come the end of the season I think we’ll be there or thereabouts.

“We’ve certainly got players who can perform at good players against good sides. We won’t be looking to the first round until we get past Farnborough.”

The Waders’ cup run has been light relief for O’Keefe and his charges, who have just two wins so far this season in the Pitching In Southern League South Central Division.

The slow start follows last season’s relegation but O’Keefe knows that the club are moving in the right direction after a summer of overhaul.

“I came in very late at the end of the season and it was always going to be a tough ask to keep the club up,” he said.

“It was incredibly difficult to recruit players, more difficult than I thought it would be, to attract players to a club that are facing relegation.

“We had a big shakedown at the end of the season with the aim of going back into step 3. We brought in a lot of new faces, I’m really happy with recruitment.

“I’ve been very open, my knowledge isn’t non-league because of the environment I’ve worked in for 30-odd years but I’m getting to grips with it really quickly.

“We’re getting better week on week, as management and as players.”

While O’Keefe may not have an encyclopaedic knowledge of non-league, one area he knows well is the academy system.

It’s something O’Keefe has leaned on, bringing in a number of former Stevenage youngsters including Harry Draper and Liam Smyth.

And the Biggleswade gaffer is confident growing numbers will want to come and watch his youthful side thanks to the style of play they’re now employing.

“I’ve worked with Drapes since he was under-9s,” added O’Keefe. “It does help having those young players and it’s great that I can call upon those players who have remained quite loyal to me.

“I’ve shown them loyalty throughout the years and we stick together. It’s lovely as they’re growing before my eyes.

“Timmy Smith has just been incredible this season. Just 19 years of age, I don’t think we’ll have him for much longer but we’ll enjoy him while he’s with us.

“There’s a bit of a cultural shift going on at Biggleswade in terms of how we play. We’re very bright with the ball, we’re a possession-based team, we do move it really well.

“We’ve got a very bright, energetic, entertaining young side. The message is come and have a look and see what we’ve got.

“Our crowds are going up, the message is getting out there, and we need as many Biggleswade supporters as we can down there for the Cup game.”

Ladbrokes, with the support of its owner Entain, has launched a multi-million-pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports. For more details see: https://entaingroup.com/sustainability/pitching-in/