Invicta could hardly have done better in the draw for the Second Qualifying round of the Emirates FA Trophy after they were again handed a home tie.
This time against old rivals Tooting & Mitcham United, with the game set to be played a week on Saturday, September 16.
With both Invicta and their scheduled Premier Division opponents Lowestoft Town still in the cup, that game has been re-arranged for Tuesday, October 10th.
And in a month when they were already scheduled to travel to the deepest Suffolk twice in eight days with a league game against Leiston, one of the tougher sides in their division followed by an FA Trophy tie against the same club seven days later, Invicta boss Neil Cugley mused: “At least it means we get most of our longer journeys out of the way before Christmas.”
Moving back to the cup draw, Cugs said: “Another home game against a club we know something about who are in the same division as we are was probably as good as we could have hoped for.
“More than that, it gives us three home games in a row which keeps things ticking over nicely – with Staines this weekend followed by Leatherhead next Tuesday and now Tooting in the cup on September 16th.”
Tooting – promoted as Ryman One South champions on goal difference from Dorking Wanderers last season – have had a difficult start to the current league campaign and currently sit next to bottom in the Premier Division with just two points from five games so far – with an opening day home 1-1 draw against promoted Northern One champions Brightlngsea and a 2-2 draw at Merstham a week or so later.
Such are the vagaries and coincidences of the cup draws that it was last season’s TV featured Merstham who were also the Terriers designated opponents in the FA Cup in a game which Tooting won 2-0 last weekend.