MARK Collier says Chippenham Town will be on their guard to avoid being one of the casualties of the FA Cup as they prepare to take on lower league Bradford Town in the second qualifying round on Saturday.

A 1-1 draw away at Weymouth on Tuesday night kept the Bluebirds top of the Southern League Premier Division table and confidence is sky high at Hardenhuish Park.

However, Collier says that counts for nothing in the cup where the form book will go out of the window.

Toolstation Premier side Bradford were one of the biggest shock makers in the previous round as they downed Hungerford Town, who play alongside Chippenham two divisions higher.

After holding Hungerford to a hard-fought 1-1 draw away from home, Paul Shanley’s Bradford got the job done in front of their own fans in the replay - triumphing 2-0.

Although he knows it will be a big surprise if the Bluebirds are not celebrating come the final whistle on Saturday, Collier will be taking nothing for granted at Trowbridge Road.

“I’ve read that Chippenham in the cup is a dream tie for them so they will be right up for it,” said Collier.

“They have done really well and for them to beat a good Hungerford team over two games is a very impressive result.

“There will be upsets in the cup over the weekend, I can guarantee that. We just have to make sure that we are not one of them.

“I saw they won 6-0 at the weekend and they will be confident with how they did in the last round. They know they are capable of beating sides from above and that result also shows they can be a danger.

“We know we will start as the favourites but it’s certainly not one we will be taking lightly. Hopefully there will be a good crowd down there and it’ll make for a special occasion.”

The Bluebirds will be without their first-choice front-line for the game as Ashan Holgate starts his three-match suspension for a red card in the previous round, while Andy Sandell remains on the sidelines through injury.

Midfielder Michael Pook will undergo a late fitness test ahead of the game after missing the midweek draw away at Weymouth.

“We are stretched a bit but have a competitive squad so we have the resources to cope with it,” added Collier.

“We don’t want to risk people if they are not quite 100 per cent. Andy hasn’t played in a while and I think in his case this one would just be three or four days too soon.

“We are having to cope with injuries and suspensions at the moment but are still racking up the points in the league so it shows the depth we have.

“We are certainly going in the right direction. We are hard to beat and we are creating chances. I’m delighted with the start we’ve made so far.”