BOSS Steve Potts has dismissed Felixstowe & Walton United's chances of pulling off a massive Suffolk Premier Cup shock tonight.The Ridgeons League Premier Division outfit take on Ipswich Town at Dellwood Avenue in the first round of the competition - and Potts will be pleasantly surprised if his team progresses.

BOSS Steve Potts has dismissed Felixstowe & Walton United's chances of pulling off a massive Suffolk Premier Cup shock tonight.

The Ridgeons League Premier Division outfit take on Ipswich Town at Dellwood Avenue in the first round of the competition - and Potts will be pleasantly surprised if his team progresses.

Even with opposite number Jim Magilton opting to field a young side, with a sprinkling of first team experience, Potts knows his side will be up against it.

He said: “The fact that Ipswich Town are in the Suffolk Premier Cup is great news and as Felixstowe won promotion last season we are delighted to draw them. But we have to be realistic about our chances.

“If we had drawn Sudbury then everyone would have expected them to thrash us. If Sudbury were playing Ipswich, people would expect Ipswich to thrash them, so you can see what we are up against.

“The gulf in quality and fitness is huge but there will be no lack of effort from my side. If we are beaten by better technical ability then so be it, but our supporters can expect an exciting game where we will give our all.”

Potts led Felixstowe & Walton United to promotion in his first season in charge while the Blues are entering the competition for the first time since the early 1970s.

With Ipswich Town deciding it would not be cost effective to open their ground, the game was switched to Felixstowe and Potts is quite happy with that.

He said: “Although some of the players are naturally disappointed at not getting the opportunity of playing at Portman Road, I'm really happy that we are now at home.

“Financially it makes more sense to play it here. For a start the 100 or so fans that would have gone to Portman Road would have rattled around that huge stadium and not been noticed.

“We could get a few hundred here and that would make for a better atmosphere. And as the clubs share the gate then it makes sense to have it here.”

Ipswich will include recent signing Ian Miller, who reached the final of this competition a couple of years ago with Bury Town.

Dean Bowditch and Scott Barron, along with single appearance players Martin Brittain, Sammy Moore and Darryl Knights, have first team experience for Town, while a number of under-18s are also included.

The game kicks off at 7.45pm and tickets, at £5 for adults, are available at the gate.

SQUADS

Felixstowe & Walton United: Leggett, Crump, Andrews, Peachey, Frost, Simmons, Symonds, Pemberton, Buckle, Phillips, Crane, Edwards, Morgan, Laws, Spencer, Pugh and Carnell.

Ipswich Town: Plummer, Synnott, Robinson, Krause, Miller, Barron, Moore, Upson, Brittain, Bowditch, Knights, Rhodes, Reason, Fenn, Short and Smith.