Tavi underdogs for Barum Cup tie

FEW could argue that, despite plying their trade a league higher than their opponents, Tavistock go into tomorrow's FA Cup preliminary round clash at Barnstaple Town as considerable underdogs.

- STUART JAMES [e-mail]

Stuart Henderson’s side do play in the Southern League Division One South, a step above Western League side Barum, but when it comes to budgets, there is no comparison between the Lambs and Barnstaple.

In fact, Tavistock saw one of their star men, Luke Mortimore, leave Langsford Park in the summer and move to north Devon where the money on offer was far more than Tavistock could afford. He is someone Henderson was keen to keep given his impact after joining the Lambs last season, but Tavistock just couldn't compete financially, despite their loftier status.

"They have taken players off us in the past and obviously Morts went there and he is obviously a quality player, then they have players like Josh Parry and Gabby Rogers who, in my eyes, could probably be playing full-time football somewhere," Henderson said. "He is way too good to be playing at the level he is, but obviously, it works for him.