After last weekend’s win at Burgess Hill, Invicta return to Sussex on Saturday for an Emirates FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round tie against Horsham.

Should we finish level after 90 minutes on Saturday, the tie will go to a replay on Tuesday night at Ashford United’s Green Box Stadium.

Emirates FA Cup

• 40 Third Qualifying Round ties will be played on Saturday.
• Westbury United v Farnborugh will kick off the round at 12:30pm on BBC Sport, with all other ties kicking off at 3pm.
• Winners of 3QR ties will take home £5,625. Losers take £1,875.
• The draw for the Fourth Qualifying Round will take place on Monday, live on TalkSPORT at 2pm, and is split in to Northern and Southern sections.
• There are three Step Five clubs left in the competition, including Whitstable Town who are one of eight Kent clubs involved.
• Invicta last exited the FA Cup at this stage in 2016, a 3-1 defeat to North Leigh.
• Invicta have won their last three 3QR ties against Aylesbury United, Gloucester City and Dulwich Hamlet with Ade Yusuff scoring the winning goal in all three ties.
• Horsham have a remarkable recent record in the competition, reaching the First Round in three of the last four years to earn away ties against EFL opposition Carlisle, Barnsley and Chesterfield.

Supporters’ Coach

Spaces are available on our supporters’ coach, departing from The Dugout Sports Bar at 12pm on Saturday. Supporters can book their seats via our ticketing provider Fanbase. Click here to book.

Kit

Invicta will be in our blue away kit on Saturday, with our hosts in yellow and green.

From The Manager

First-team manager Jay Saunders spoke ahead of Saturday’s trip to Sussex:

“We are really looking forward to Saturday, a big FA Cup tie against a very good side. They’ve started this season well and I’ve been impressed when I have watched them.

“It’s obviously going to be a tough test against the team that was the best in the Isthmian League last season, and we are going to have to be at our very best to get something from it.

“We go into the tie in a really good place, our form is good and confidence is high in the camp. The boys are all looking forward to the challenge and want to go there and cause another upset.”

The Opposition

After winning the Isthmian Premier Division by a single goal on the final day of the season, Horsham have had a solid start to life in the National League South. The Hornets have already claimed the scalps of Torquay United and Eastbourne Borough, who finished 2nd and 3rd last season respectively, to sit 13th with 11 points after nine matches.

Recent Form

30/08 – Salisbury (H) – Drew 1-1
02/09 – Eastbourne Borough (H) – Won 2-0
06/09 – Maidstone United (A) – Won 3-0
13/09 – Westfield (A) – Drew 2-2 (FA Cup)
16/09 – Westfield (H) – Won 6-0 (FA Cup Replay)
20/09 – AFC Totton (H) – Lost 2-0

Recent Meetings

Invicta hold a dominant record against Horsham in recent years, with six wins from the last seven meetings between the sides.

Last 6

26/11/22 – Invicta 3-0 Horsham
11/02/23 – Horsham 1-3 Invicta
16/12/23 – Horsham 2-1 Invicta
06/04/24 – Invicta 3-1 Horsham
26/11/24 – Horsham 0-1 Invicta
25/01/25 – Invicta 3-0 Horsham

The Manager

Dominic Di Paola took over as Horsham manager in April 2015 with the club relegated to the Sussex County League, leading them to the league title and promotion back to the Isthmian League the following season. Another promotion followed in 2019 to return Horsham to the Isthmian Premier Division as they prepared to move into their new stadium that summer. Di Paola has since lead The Hornets to their first Velocity Cup in 2022 and a highest league finish, FA Trophy run and joint-longest FA Cup run in 2023 before winning the Isthmian Premier Division title last season coupled with a second consecutive Sussex Senior Cup.

How To Follow

You can keep up to date with the action with updates from our X (formerly Twitter) account or via Football Web Pages.

The Venue

More information on parking and transport to the Fusion Aviation Community Stadium can be found here.

Info on the facilities at the stadium can be found here.

Admission

Supporters can save by purchasing tickets online up until midnight on Friday. Adults and concession tickets are £1 cheaper online in advance. Click here to buy online.

Matchday prices:

• Adult: £16
• Concession (Over 65, student): £11
• Under 18: £11
• Under 16: £4