Longlevens head to The Lawns to face Cribbs FC in the Hellenic League Wiseman Lighting Floodlit Cup quarter-finals, aiming to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Manager Peter Boyle is relishing the challenge and has prepared his side meticulously for the clash.
“Cup games are always about who wants it more. It’s a cliché, but hard work has to come first,” Boyle said.
“We wouldn’t expect a flawless technical performance – we’ve had three weeks without a game, so we might be a bit rusty. You can replicate some things in training, but you can’t replicate the actual game. If we don’t match their intensity, it’ll be an uphill battle from the start.
“We’ve worked on how we want to play against them, how to exploit their weaknesses and nullify their strengths. The lads take those instructions on board and apply them well, so we’re looking forward to it. The main thing is to do whatever it takes to get through to the next round.”
In the Hellenic League Premier Division, Cribbs sit bottom of the table with 18 points, three behind Lydney Town, while Longlevens occupy 10th with 34 points, though they have a couple of games in hand.
Boyle insists the league gap won’t make this an easy match and expects Cribbs to provide a stern challenge.
“We’ve prepared for a tough fixture. Cup games can throw up anything, regardless of league positions. Both sides will be right up for it. It should be a really tough game, but hopefully we’ll have enough to come through it.”
Disrupted fixtures have disrupted Longlevens’ rhythm this season – the team has played only three times in 2026 – and Boyle says it has affected their performances.
“The weather-related postponements have affected our momentum. We’ve also lost our last two league games against tough opponents, disrupting our rhythm. But we’ve trained hard, sometimes when other teams wouldn’t, and kept the squad together with team socials. The lads have responded well to setbacks and are still in good spirits, so hopefully we can start another good run tomorrow.”
With three more encounters against Cribbs this season, Boyle is confident in his squad’s quality.
“We know them well, and one of our coaches, Jake, has experience at their club too. The more you play a team, the more you understand them, and they know us as well. But we believe we have enough quality to overcome the challenge. The lads are raring to go, and our squad is in much better shape this season than last.”
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