WALKING out onto the pitch at the Abbey Stadium on Saturday will mean Bamber Bridge manager Tony Greenwood has realised a lifetime's ambition.

For he has always dreamed of taking a non-league club to the dizzy heights of round two of the FA Cup, and that dream will become reality at Cambridge on Saturday.

After beating Lancaster City in a breathtakingly-tight game to get into the first round proper, then travelling to St Albans in the first round and winning, Greenwood believed he had experienced every emotion possible as a manager - but there is more to come.

He said: "As a manager, I am incredibly proud. I have always dreamed of getting a team to the first round of the FA Cup and now we have gone one better than that.

"I want the lads to go out and enjoy the game."

Having said that, Greenwood isn't allowing the misty-eyed myth of the underdog winning to distract him from reality . . . and the tough task ahead.

While his side were losing to Gateshead last Friday, Greenwood watched Cambridge thrash Luton, and said: "They are a very formidable opposition and could have really trounced Luton that night.

"It will be very tough for us there. I just hope my team will be able to match them on workrate and enthusiasm, but I appreciate their standard of football will be better."

He added: "Stranger things have happened in the past and you just never know. Cambridge have been beaten by non-league opposition in the cup for the past two years and we could just make it the hat-trick.

"I just want the lads to enjoy it all and not let themselves down."

But if their league form is anything to go by, then Cambridge will have little to fear. And coupled with mounting injury worries - Dave Carroll is the latest player to be rated doubtful along with Mark Jones - Brig will need to be at their best come 3pm Saturday.

Wayne Maddock will miss the game through suspension, but Brig are boosted by the return of Ian Vickers.

Maybe, just maybe...

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