Log In

Reset Password

Donawa eyeing cup upset with Darlington

Darlington forward Justin Donawa

Justin Donawa and his Darlington team-mates will be looking to extend their impressive run in the FA Cup when they face Walsall at the Banks’s Stadium tomorrow.

The Vanarama National League North side are making their first appearance in the first round of the oldest national football competition in the world in nearly a decade.

They will face a Walsall side who have lost their last six games in Sky Bet League Two.

“Playing in the first round of the FA Cup is a great opportunity for our club,” Donawa said. “I believe as a group we’re ready and excited for the match.

“We know it will be a battle but, at the end of the day, it’s football and it’s about getting the job done in 90 minutes.

“This is a chance for us to get Darlington back on the map.”

Darlington, whose squad also includes Bermuda midfielder Osagi Bascome, beat Trafford, Leamington and Tamworth in the qualifying rounds.

Donawa has thrived in the competition, having netted in all of those matches.

Following tomorrow’s cup tie Donawa and Bascome will join up with the Bermuda team in the US Virgin Islands, where they will warm up for their final group B game in League A of the Concacaf Nations League against Mexico in Toluca on November 19.

Bermuda will play friendly against Major League Soccer side DC United in St Croix on November 15.

“The DC United friendly will be good for us to get a game together after a few weeks of being at our various clubs,” Donawa said. “It will give us an opportunity to fine-tune some things for the big clash in Mexico.”

Bermuda lost 5-1 to Mexico in the Nations League at the National Stadium last month.

“We know what Mexico are capable of now,” Donawa added. “We know what to expect. It’s up to us to right our wrongs from the first match and get a good result in Mexico.”

Bermuda are bottom of group B on goal difference, four inferior to second-place Panama. The bottom nation will be relegated to League B.

Bermuda started their Nations League campaign with a 4-1 defeat to Panama at the National Stadium before avenging that loss by beating the Central Americans 2-0 three days later thanks to a Nahki Wells brace.

Lightbourne’s team secured a top seat at the Nations League table by finishing fifth in the qualifiers, which also led to them reaching the Gold Cup for the first time last summer.