Gloucester City face Kettering Town FC, who currently sit seven places above them in the league, in the second round of the FA Trophy.
The Gloucestershire side sit 20th place in National League North, in the relegation zone alongside AFC Telford United.
In an interview after the side’s 3-1 defeat to Kidderminster, Gloucester City manager Lee Mansell admitted that his team “need the confidence a cup run can bring.”
When the two sides faced in the league three months ago, Kettering Town won 2-0 thanks to a Callum James Powell brace.
With the home side already out of the FA cup qualifying rounds at the hands of Folkestone Invictia FC, the FA Trophy is their best hope of a cup run.
Kettering Town sit in mid table at 14th, four places above where they finished last season.
The two teams have faced each other four times in the past, winning one a piece and drawing on the other two occasions.
Gloucester have had a disastrous start to the season, after finishing last season at the top of the league before the season was suspended due to coronavirus.
Mansell also added the team “need to find ways of winning games fast.” The team have only won two games so far this season are on course for a shock relegation.
Gloucester City fired Paul Groves and members of the backroom staff after a run of poor results including losing 9-0 to Chorley.
On 25 September, Mansell was installed as interim to “provide stability to the club and give ourselves the best possible chance of success moving forwards.”
Despite not having a rich vein of form since joining the club, the club have yet to lose by more than two goals under Mansell, even while playing against league leaders AFC Fylde.
Gloucester City play Kettering Town FC in the FA Trophy on Saturday, 27 November at 15:00.
