Sittingbourne are looking to reach the FA Cup final qualifying round for the first time in more than a quarter of a century.

The Brickies host Devon outfit Plymouth Parkway at Woodstock in the third qualifying round this Saturday (3pm).

Win that and they’ll be through to final qualifying for the first time since taking Hereford to a replay in 1997.

It’s already the furthest Sittingbourne have been since 2013 as they prepare for the visit of a side who play a level above them in Southern League Premier South.

Parkway lost 9-3 to Hungerford at the weekend and 3-1 to Poole last night and can’t be relishing a 520-mile round trip to Kent.

But the hosts have a job to do and there’s a buzz around the club as they bid to bank another £5,625 in prize money.

“People are talking about the game - I’d be worried if they weren’t,” said Sittingbourne manager Ryan Maxwell.

“Everyone’s very excited.

“There’s a real good vibe, everyone’s enjoying the FA Cup and I want them to because it’s a short time that you’re riding these waves.

“You’ve got to enjoy these moments because they are few and far between.

“I’ve told them to make sure they’re enjoying it, because we’re trying to, but ultimately we have a job to do.

“For me, it’s just about winning the game but I want everyone at the football club to continue enjoying the ride and hopefully we’re in the hat come Sunday.

“We were all fans once, weren’t we?

“We were all kids who watched the FA Cup and it was the biggest day in the footballing calendar.

“Unfortunately football has been taken away from that, and the focus is elsewhere.

“In my opinion it’s not for the greater good, and I wish it was like it was before, but it still brings up those historical images that you have in the FA Cup, and they are special.

“It’s the magic of the FA Cup, as they say, and you do get wrapped up in it and that’s good because you’re supposed to.

“The priority is the league but this is a very nice distraction nonetheless.”

Sittingbourne would face a long-distance Tuesday night replay in the event of a draw.

But Maxwell isn’t thinking like that.

He added: “It doesn’t enter my mind.

“The players have to focus on the game in hand and the 90 minutes that’s in front of them.

“Yes, there’s a replay if it’s a draw but you deal with that at the time.

“It’s not something I’m focusing on, it’s a game of football that we can win at home and that’s how we’ll approach it.”

Sittingbourne warmed up for the tie with an impressive 4-1 home victory against Kingstonian in the FA Trophy second qualifying round on Saturday.

Troy Howard set them on their way, Mitchell May scored twice and Henry Sinai added a fourth before Joe Hicks replied for the two-time Trophy winners.

The Brickies have drawn Bognor Regis at home in the final qualifying round on October 5.

Kingstonian stuck to their football principles but Sittingbourne had the measure of them.

“Having seen what Kingstonan stand for in terms of their footballing style, you have to give them credit for even attempting it,” said Maxwell.

“They take a lot of chances, they’re very brave in terms of passing from the back and through the thirds and trying to create a possession game.

“If you aren’t aware of what they’re trying to do, and their movement, you can get punished and completely outplayed because once they get in their stride it’s hard to knock them out of it.

“They’re a big name in non-league football, they’ve won the Trophy twice and someone told me they’ve knocked Sittingbourne out twice, so it was a sweet result.

“When I first started playing non-league, they were a big side, a very well-known team and some things stay in your memory.

“I said to the boys they’ve got history, this is a big club, and the performance was fantastic, we got everything spot on.

“There were some great goals and in an all-round very strong performance.”

Joe Boachie made his comeback from injury as a second-half substitute, putting him in contention for the weekend, while Maxwell reserved praise for midfielder Ayman Al Morgharbel.

“Ayman was outstanding,” said Maxwell.

“I said to him the game was made for him specifically because of what I was asking the players to do, it’s what he’s best at.

“He won loads of ball, retained it, passed it well, he passed forward, he did the dirty work, he had to roll his sleeves up, he was disciplined with it all.

“People might forget Ayman’s actually a No.10, or an an attacking wideman, but he’s become an industrious No.8.

“He’s still perfecting how to be the No.8 this team needs but because of his energy and enthusiasm, he’s adapted really well to the role and been very impressive but he’s also a player who can beat a man and score from a central or wide area.

“At the minute he’s really impressed me as a No.8, with Saturday being the pinnacle. He carried out the role to a T.”

Provided there’s no FA Cup replay, Sittingbourne are due in Isthmian South East action at Burgess Hill on Tuesday (7.45pm).