Martin Carruthers had his FA Trophy wish granted being handed a mouth-watering away tie at Chesterfield.
The Basford United boss dreamed big after their shock win over Curzon Ashton in the third round qualifying, and then couldn't believe his luck when paired with the National League giants in last Monday's first round draw.
“After the game the chairman [Chris Munroe] was asking who I wanted and I said Chesterfield away!” Carruthers, the former Aston Villa, Stoke and Scunthorpe forward, told The NLP. “He was a bit taken aback, thinking we'd want someone at home who we could beat. In an ideal world he's right, but if you can get an ex-Football League club with a fantastic stadium… When it was drawn out I was doing cartwheels.”
In their debut season at Step 3, Basford already find themselves gunning for a fifth promotion in seven years.
A 2-1 win over the National League North's Curzon was another moment to savour for the ambitious club, who have made no secret they want to reach the Football League in five years, and that result shows they mean business…
