COLNE are bracing themselves for an FA Vase backlash at the hands of Bristol battlers Bitton in the FA Vase fifth round tomorrow.

After upsetting the odds when they shot down all-conquering AFC Wimbledon in the previous round, it's now Colne's turn to be wary of a small army of potential party poopers.

Western League Bitton caused a stir of their own in the fourth round when they shocked high-flying Wessex League Division One side Lymington & New Milton, and are already branding themselves underdogs for the trip to Holt House.

Local media in Bristol have even built the tie up as a 'David and Goliath' clash despite the fact that the teams are actually at equivalent levels of the non-league pyramid, and are the two lowest ranked sides remaining.

The analogy is probably more based on the fact that Colne has a population of more than five times that of the village of Bitton, and that the old Dynamoes team won the Vase at Wembley in 1988.

But Coates, a member of that victorious squad 16 years ago, is guarding against complacency despite his side dumping out the previous favourites from Wimbledon three weeks ago.

"We have to be on our guard and treat Bitton the same as we did Wimbledon," said Coates. "We were the underdogs then but we're being made favourites to win on Saturday.

"But we can't read too much into that because if they turn up and have a good day they can go through."

Player-chairman James Webster added: "We've had reports on them, but if they're in the last 16 of the Vase they're not going to be a bad side.

"They are the same level as us at stage nine of the pyramid and we're the two lowest ranked in it, so we can't think of ourselves as favourites.

"But we have got injuries and suspensions out of the way so we're full strength and feeling confident."

While there were more people at the Wimbledon game than live in Bitton, the 150 supporters that travelled to support their village side in Lymington was described by Bitton chairman John Langdon as "unprecedented".

However, Colne are also keen to boost their crowds as, with a place in the last eight up for grabs, their path to an Upton Park final gathers momentum.

But Coates doesn't just want the terraces packed for the cup run, he needs the fans to cheer them to the North West Counties Division Two title too.

He said: "We'll see how many we can attract for Bitton then hopefully keep them for the league games.

"Apart from Christmas, it's been about 40 or 50, which is disappointing. You can't drag people off the street and it's hard to predict, but if we get 300 we have to try to keep a percentage of them."

Meanwhile, the chaos that surrounded the 2-1 win at Wimbledon three weeks ago appears to have died down.

A crowd invasion marred Colne's celebrations at the end of the game, while the Lancashire club then had to strenuously deny allegations of making racist remarks aimed at Wimbledon's Michael Harvey, a member of rap band So Solid Crew.

But Webster said: "The FA have had the report for three weeks now and I'm sure we would have heard something if there was to be any action against us."