Ryan Lowe insists Wigan Athletic will show full respect to Hemel Hempstead Town in FA Cup clash
Wigan Athletic manager Ryan Lowe insists his side will show full respect to Hemel Hempstead Town when the two clubs meet in the first round of the FA Cup at the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday.
Following a challenging run in League One, Lowe’s side have turned a corner in their last two outings, picking up four points thanks to a win over Port Vale and a draw at Mansfield Town.
Latics turn their attention to the FA Cup this weekend, when they meet Hemel Hempstead Town for the first time ever, with Lowe’s side hosting the Tudors, who are currently fourth in the National League South.
"We won’t be taking anything for granted with Hemel Hempstead,” Lowe insisted.
"I’ve been in these positions before as a player, when you are playing underdogs, and we’ll need all our fans there to support us with it because it is going to be a tough game in different ways.
"You might say quality in levels, but it doesn’t matter, they’ve got some good ex-professionals who have played at decent levels, they are well-coached and well-organised, so we’ll be taking nothing for granted, we’ve got to make sure we are on our mettle."
Meanwhile, Lowe underlined the importance of the FA Cup, drawing on his love of the prestigious competition and the club’s affiliation with it, with the Latics boss taking a nod to Roberto Martinez’s Cup-clinching side of 2013.
"I’ll make sure the lads understand that and the importance of the FA Cup,” Lowe added.
"For me, I’ve been fortunate enough to follow Liverpool all over Europe and win Champions League trophies, but the best one is the FA Cup, trust me, so if we can get anywhere close to the FA Cup final, I’ll be absolutely over the moon.
"And we have to pay our respect to it because we have won it as a football club once before, so we’ll have to make sure we take it seriously, which we will and be as strong as we possibly can."
The FA Cup first round tie between Wigan and Hemel Hempstead will take place at the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday, November 1, 3pm kick-off.