Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Howe wants to boost club's cup history
EDDIE Howe acknowledges Cherries are facing a formidable task as his class of 2009 bids to preserve the club's commendable FA Cup first-round record.[LNB] Howe will take his managerial bow in the competition when Cherries meet League Two rivals Chesterfield at the Recreation Ground tomorrow (3pm).[LNB] The Spireites became the first team to lower Cherries' colours at Dean Court this season and also boast the best home form in League Two, with seven wins and a draw from eight games.[LNB] However, although Cherries head to Derbyshire as underdogs, their recent record for negotiating the first hurdle is impressive, having been eliminated only twice since 1983.[LNB] As a player, Howe sat out both ties against Brentford in 1996 and Tamworth in 2005 and will be hoping to mark his FA Cup debut as a manager with a win.[LNB] He told the Daily Echo: We've had some tricky ties down the years and managed to get through them. You can come unstuck when you play non-league teams but this is a different kettle of fish.[LNB] We are playing a very good side from our own league on their own patch so it is going to be tough and we are going to have to perform to progress.[LNB] But progression is what we want and we are taking the cup very seriously. There will be no resting players or talk of concentrating on the league. This is a massive game for this football club.[LNB] We will be doing everything we can to try to win. Their home record is the best in the division but this is a different kind of pressure for both teams because it is a one-off game.[LNB] Although the draw was relatively unkind to Cherries, Howe maintains he would be firmly against regionalising the early rounds.[LNB] He said: It is unfortunate that it has panned out for us to have three long away games in succession. That is never ideal but it can happen to any club and you have just got to get on with it. The distance makes it a bit tougher for all concerned.[LNB] But my opinion about regionalisation is the same regarding the league and it would take away the magic. In the FA Cup, travelling to all parts of the country to play non-league teams you may never have heard of is all part of the mystery.[LNB] ¢ Cherries have been knocked out in the first round 17 times since 1925. In five of those seasons, they came in at the third round stage. In 1945, the first round was played over two legs when Cherries were beaten 6-4 on aggregate by Lovell's Athletic.[LNB]
