GUISELEY manager Mark Bower has urged his side to master the basics if they are to get anything out of Saturday’s showdown at Stevenage in the FA Cup first round.

The Lions have already dumped out opposition from the leagues above in this year’s competition, with victories over Scunthorpe (1-0) and Kidderminster (1-0) in the qualifying rounds already representing small scalps.

However, they have the chance to go one step further this Saturday as they travel to take on League One outfit, Stevenage.

A victory would earn Guiseley a spot in the FA Cup second round for just the third time in the club’s history.

Looking ahead to this huge occasion, Bower said: “It’s not every year you get to the FA Cup first round, so we’re all really looking forward to it.

“It’s a big occasion and an even bigger test for the players. I feel like we’ve got a good young team, but this will be a test above anything they’ve faced before.

“The group are looking forward to the challenge, and hopefully we can make a good account of ourselves.”

Guiseley had no fixture last weekend which has allowed them to solely focus on Saturday’s trip to Stevenage, something that has proved beneficial to the Lions.

Bower said: “I think the main positive with the break is that it has allowed us to get a few of the lads back from injury.

“It came at a good time for us, so we should have three or even four of the players back that haven’t been available to us.

“If you’re going away from home to a side as good as Stevenage, then you need as many bodies available to you as possible. It will give us some strength off the bench which will be key for us.”

Despite the magnitude of the fixture, Bower believes that his squad have the right mindset to not be overwhelmed by the occasion.

He said: “We have a good mix of youth and experience within the team, so the experienced players won’t be overawed by it, and the younger players can just go and embrace the opportunity.

“A lot of them have played in big games which will stand them in good stead. We’ve got to make sure we do the basics as well as we possibly can and not give anything cheap away. And when we do get an opportunity, we have to make the most of it.

“We certainly feel that we’ve got enough quality to cause them a few problems.”

Giving his thoughts on the potential advantages of being underdogs in this contest, Bower said: “There’s 90 plus places between the two clubs in the footballing pyramid, so there are going to be moments in the game where we come under a lot of pressure.

“Equally, if they’re not winning the game after 30 minutes or at half-time, then the pressure increases on them, so we know that if we can frustrate them and keep the scores level for as long as possible, then the chances of going through will increase for us.

“First and foremost, we must work hard and get those basics right, then we’ll see what we can do from there.”

Bower confirmed that the club will be travelling to Stevenage on Friday night in preparation for the match on Saturday, when they are expected to be joined by a large Guiseley following for this mammoth FA Cup tie.