CONFIDENT Wisbech Town boss Steve Appleby has urged his players to attack Dunston UTS in Saturday’s FA Vase replay.

Appleby was buoyed by his side’s display during the weekend’s after extra-time 2-2 draw with the Gateshead outfit.

And even though the Fenmen boss admits his side will need to be at their best to win the fourth round replay he says they can travel up north in high spirits.

Appleby said: “Saturday’s result was a fair one but I do feel like we’ve missed an opportunity because I thought we played well enough to win it.

“I just feel if we defended our set pieces better we might have done because we’d got them contained. I wouldn’t say we were on top because the game ebbed and flowed but I do think we were better at times and it was a big opportunity to win.

“I can’t be too harsh on the lads though because they were fantastic, gave it a right go, played some decent stuff, scored some good goals and you can’t ask for a lot more.

“What I’ll say to our lads is surely they can take the belief from the fact that they’re beatable. They are a good side and if we don’t perform in the replay they’ll beat us.

“But on Saturday’s showing we can go up their and get a result and we’ll give it our best shot.”

Appleby’s outfit have already beaten Witham Town and Racing Club Warwick on their FA Vase travels this season.

A victory in Saturday’s replay, against the Northern League Division One high-flyers, would put the Fenmen in the competition’s last 16 - leaving them just three wins from a Wembley final.

The Fenmen boss said: “I actually prefer to be away because apart from the weekend we’ve often not shown up in the big games at home.

“I’ve got to give the lads credit and the fans credit for getting behind us, but going away doesn’t bother me, to be honest I’m quite looking forward to it. “Sometimes when you’re away the pressure is off and you just go and do your stuff. So far we’ve done it this year away from home and we hope to continue that.

“We won’t play any differently up their, if anything we’ll probably play more attacking.

“If Tuesday night (home tie with Haverhill Rovers in the Cambs Invitation Cup Quarter-Final, 7.45pm kick-off) is on Callum Reed will be available and he’ll certainly start because I’ll be picking my best side.”

Saturday’s goalscorers Nick Davey and Matt Lunn should both travel to Gateshead but one player who looks set to miss the tie is defender Stacy Cartwright.

He broke his nose in several places while making a tackle - just weeks after having an operation on it. Appleby said he expects the defender to be “out for quite a while”.

The Fenmen boss reserved special praise for Saturday’s referee, Richard Kendall, who he said was in a “different league” to other officials Wisbech had encountered this season.

Appleby said: “The referee was fantastic. He used his common sense, told people to get up and get on with things, and just let a bit of pushing here and there go.

“He’s definitely the best ref we’ve had this year - without a shadow of a doubt. He’s in a different league. He made it a good game by letting people get on with it in what could have been a difficult match to officiate. Fair play to him.”

Wisbech will find out who they will play in the last 16 - if they win on Saturday - later today.

- WISBECH WILL HOST BETHNAL GREEN UNITED IN THE FIFTH ROUND ON FEBRUARY 11 IF THEY WIN SATURDAY’S REPLAY.

- Click on the related link to read the match report from Saturday’s game.