?He?s a pepper, she?s a pepper, would you like to be a pepper too?.

That?s the catchy motto of First Division Hamilton Parish, now on the verge of appearing in a second straight FA Cup final.

Hot Peppers ousted inaugural finalists and 1984 FA Cup champions Southampton Rangers from the prestigious competition on Sunday to move to within a win of returning to the National Sports Centre (NSC) for next month?s season-ending finale.

Parish finished bridesmaids to defending cup holders North Village nearly a year ago on the carpet.

And given Peppers? make-up of predominantly Commercial Division players, it?s almost a safe bet any one of the three remaining clubs in the competition would love to feast on the First Division minnows at this stage of the competition.

Yet it would be ill-advised for the likes of Village, Devonshire Cougars and Dandy Town to start counting their chickens before they hatch, something perennial cup kings Somerset Trojans learned the hard way last season.

?We feel sorry for our next opponents because we will be up for the challenge,? warned Parish stalwart Sean Dill ? himself a former Village striker ? on the eve of today?s FA Cup semi-final draw at Captain?s Lounge on Reid Street, beginning at 12.30 p.m..

And for those who think Parish fret the might of Village, best think again.

?We want revenge because we were robbed last year,? Dill argued, alluding to a linesman?s call that went against his team in last season?s final.

?But we would prefer to meet them in the final. And overall we are extremely confident and look forward to whoever we get.?

Peppers squad is again comprised of seasoned veterans, some who have previously savoured FA Cup success at Premier Division clubs.

?We have a lot of players who still have the knowledge of playing in any of the higher divisions,? Dill said. ?Our aim is to go out there and execute the game plan on the day because knockout games are different from league games.

?In knockout games you have only one chance and so you don?t have to look pretty. You just go out there and execute the game plan, something we have managed to achieve so far.?

Parish, led by skipper Irving Burgess, also have the community?s backing.

?At Rangers (Southampton Oval) we had more fans than the home team,? said Dill, who has scored in every round of this season?s competition apart from Sunday?s triumph over Rangers.

In John Rebello and Leroy (Nibs) Lewis, Parish also have two coaches who know a thing or two about winning the cup. Both won multiple cup titles at Vasco da Gama and PHC Zebras.

Rebello is the last coach to lead a side to triple crown glory, having achieved the feat in 1997-98 with the Portuguese club.

Meanwhile, BFA League and Cup Competitions chairman Charles Clarke commented: ?What is interesting is that the veterans from Hamilton Parish have once again proven that their run to the final last year was no fluke. And I think they will prove to be formidable opposition for whoever they meet in the semi-finals.?

Clarke currently heads up a committee in charge of planning and overseeing various initiatives to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the competition.

BAA were the inaugural winners in 1956 over Southampton Rangers.

To mark the milestone, Clarke?s committee have designated Southampton Oval and BAA Field as venues for this Sunday?s first semi-final and the second on April 2.

?The Committee thought that these venues would be fitting in our lead up to the 50th FA Cup celebrations that will be taking place in the next few weeks,? Charles added.

?The 50th FA Cup, like the first, should provide more than enough excitement for the football public. So I?m advising all to come out witness the semi-final matches.?

The women?s FA Cup draw involving cup holders Lady Cougars, PHC, Lady Rams and Dandy Stars will also be held today at Captain?s Lounge.