Southend Manor manager Russell Faulkner said they’d love to win tomorrow and equal the club’s best-ever run in the FA Vase.

The Essex Senior League side are away to Kent Premier outfit Lordswood, with a place in the last 32 up for grabs.

Manor’s best showing came a decade ago with a last 32 exit to Wisbech, and Faulkner said that’s something the current crop want to at least match.

He said: “Our league form has not been great but we’ve improved, and we’ve put a massive focus on the Vase.

“It will be a tough game against Lordswood, who have just gone sixth in their league and are a young and athletic side.

“But we’ve had two terrific away performances in the last two rounds so we’re confident.”

Faulkner expects to have striker Gary Paterson available again after his recovery from an ankle injury. He’s also added Brad Hooper from Tilbury to his squad and said he could be added another quality addition before tomorrow’s game.

Our other Essex Senior sides are all in league action, and there is a good-looking Echo derby as Basildon United host Hullbridge Sports at Gardiners Close.

Second-placed Great Wakering will look to bounce back from defeat to league leaders Burnham Ramblers when they go to bottom-of-the-table Clapton. Bowers & Pitsea – whose league game at home to Takeley on Wednesday was postponed – are away to London APSA.

Canvey Island boss Steve Tilson said he’d be happy to give the club’s young stars a chance in the first team if they can prove themselves good enough.

George Cocklin, the 17-year-old captain of the club’s successful youth side, was included in the squad for the midweek cup defeat to Hornchurch. He sat alongside fellow youth team product Mitch Gilbey, who came on as a late sub for the depleted Gulls on Tuesday.

Tilson has repeatedly underlined how stretched his squad is and confirmed he’d have no problem calling on the youth teamers, who’ve made club history with their run to the third round of the FA Youth Cup.

“George has got a way to go, whereas Mitch is obviously a lot closer,” he said.

“But it is not just a case of needs-must that they are with the first team.

“And given time, when the likes of George are fully developed, there is no reason why he can’t get in the first team on a regular basis.”

Tilson was disappointed to see their attempt to defend the county cup end with defeat by Hornchurch in the last 16.

But he admitted their exit from the last cup they were involved in this season may be a “blessing in disguise” for his stretched squad.

He said that ideally he would have left a few of his first-teamers out of the game, but that was not an option for him.

Harrison Chatting returned to the Canvey starting XI for the Hornchurch game after being left out for Saturday’s win over Kingstonian.

And Tilson admitted the winger is yet to fulfil his potential at the club following his move for an undisclosed fee from Billericay in August.

“He’s started 16 or 17 games and has not scored so obviously confidence is low with him,” said Tilson. “He just needs to keep staying positive, getting into good areas and hopefully that first goal will come very soon.”

Tilson said his search for new players goes on but it’s only “50/50” there would be a new addition in time for tomorrow’s game at home to Cray Wanderers in the Ryman Premier.

Concord Rangers manager Danny Cowley says he’s not expecting FA Cup heroes Hastings United to do them any favours when the two sides meet in the Ryman Premier tomorrow.

Hastings are the lowest-ranked team left in the famous competition and have a replay with Harrogate on Thursday for the right to face Middlesbrough in the third round.

Despite that, Cowley says he does not expect Hastings player-manager Sean Ray to rest any of his top players for their match.

“What they’ve achieved in the FA Cup has been fantastic, and they are a credit to the Ryman league,” said Cowley.

“But I don’t think it will do us any favours because Sean Ray has not rested any players before their FA Cup games in previous rounds.

“They are actually on the FA Cup run we would have liked to have gone on, because if we’d beaten Welling that would have been our route to the final!”

Cowley said he was happy with tight victories over Thurrock in the league and Bury Town in the league cup this week, but admitted they were not “vintage performances”.

Cowley explained they had to bring in keeper Tom Lovelock on a month’s loan from Sutton at the last minute before the Bury game because their usual stopper Michael Jordan had turned his ankle at work.

He said he’d be surprised if Jordan played again before Christmas, and added that Harry Elmes and Nicky Cowley would also be checked for ankle injuries before tomorrow’s game.

Captain Tony Stokes and top-scorer Jason Hallett are also carrying slight groin strains but both are expected to be available.

East Thurrock captain Reiss Gilbey was frustrated with their midweek stalemate at home to Margate but said there were very encouraging signs from the performance.

Rocks, who are 15th in the Ryman Premier, travel to 18th-placed Harrow tomorrow.

He said: “We felt we should have won against Margate but the performance was the main thing.

“And I feel we are getting back on track now after some disappointments which started with the defeat to Chelmsford.

“I think the low point was the Hampton & Richmond game where we lost two early goals. But we picked up again with the win against Wingate.

“We’ve been affected by injuries to important players like Sam Higgins, and we’ve had to deal with some suspensions.

“And we’ve been trying to bed in new players like Dean Mason, who played 60 minutes for us on Saturday and 75 on Tuesday.

“So we’ll go to Harrow confident we can win and if we play like we did against Margate we are more than capable.”

Billericay Town will look to end a run of four straight defeats in which they’ve conceded 14 goals when they host Bath City at New Lodge.

Town start the day in 13th in the Conference South table, three points behind their visitors, who are in eighth.

Billericay could be without four players due to injury: Junior Luke (hamstring), Glen Poole (concussion) and Craig Edwards (foot) are all doubtful, and Alton Thelwell picked up a hamstring injury in training on Wednesday.

And they have sent left-sided player Nathan Green out on loan to Kingstonian.

Billericay manager Craig Edwards said: “Nathan has gone to Kingstonian for a month’s loan. “It’s important he gets some games under his belt and finds his confidence again.”