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Alan Dowson knows better than most what a good FA Cup run can do as Dartford start the road to Wembley this weekend.
The Darts will host Isthmian South East leaders Beckenham on Saturday.
Dowson helped former club Woking reach the third round in 2018/19, as they lost to then-Premier League Watford 2-0, and Dartford’s manager hopes he can go on another memorable run with his new club.
He said: “If you want to put yourself on the map as a player, or if you want to put yourself on the map as a manager or a club, do well in the FA Cup.
“You can win the National League and you can win the National South but if you want that prestige for your club or as a player, go and do well in the FA Cup.
“I love the FA Cup. One of my biggest achievements was when I got to the third round at Woking and we played Watford on the telly.
“It was a great occasion and it’s the best competition in the world still for me.
“The league is more important - just - but what the FA Cup can bring to the football club with prestige and money, that’s second to none.”
Beckenham have a perfect league record so far this term but they lost on penalties in the FA Trophy on Tuesday at home to Heybridge Swifts.
While Dartford are entering the FA Cup at the Second Qualifying Round stage, Beckenham have already seen off K Sports (3-2) and league rivals East Grinstead last Tuesday (3-1) in a replay.
“I went to watch them last Tuesday and I think they’re a good side,” stated Dowson, who hopes to have midfielder Luke Allen available.
“The kid up top, Louie Theophanous, who has been around a bit and scores goals, and they have Danny Waldren who’s an experienced player. I think they’re a dangerous side.
“When you win promotion, you are used to winning games.
"We can’t be off our guard because I do think it’ll be a tough game.”
Dowson also rejected the idea of rotating his squad heavily for the tie, saying: “We will put what we think are our best players for the game in because it’s a massive game.
“Beckenham are used to winning games all the time so it’s a massive game for us.”
In the league, first-half strikes from Samir Carruthers, Luke Coulson and Maxwell Statham earned Dartford the derby spoils on Tuesday at Dover as they won 3-1.
The result moved Dartford up to 10th in National League South and Dowson was delighted to be able to bring frontman Charlie Sheringham off the bench, as he also praised Carruthers who battled through illness to play - and score!
He said: “It was great getting Charlie Sheringham on. I think he showed a lot of good glimpses.
“We know we need some more bodies in - we know we need one or two more players - that doesn’t change.
“We are working slowly because I came in late to the job and you sort of suss out what you need.
“But we have to start keeping clean sheets because we concede too many goals. Once we start doing that, we have quality.
“Samir Carruthers should get a mention because he played when he shouldn’t have, to be honest. He was ill.
“He scored a great goal, he didn’t have a very good game, but he scored a great goal and we had to bring him off.
“I was going to do it at half-time but I gave him 10 minutes [in the second half] - fair play to Samir.”
The win at Crabble was Dartford’s second in six matches but Dowson added: “We won against Hemel the other week so we can say we have won two in three now! That could turn it into a positive.
“We have lost games that we shouldn’t have lost, we know that. We have lost games because of mistakes, we know that as well.
“It’s a tough place to come [Crabble] so I’m just delighted with the three points.”
Dartford will earn £3,375 in prize money if they beat Beckenham in the FA Cup.
