Bowyer confident Burton have experience to avoid Diamonds Cup banana skin
Gary Bowyer will be telling his Burton Albion players to call on their experiences from last season when they host non-League AFC Rushden & Diamonds in the FA Cup first round on Saturday (ko 3pm).
The Sky Bet League One side play five divisions above the Diamonds in the football pyramid, and will go into the game as huge favourites to progress.
Bowyer knows it is a potential banana skin for his side, but they endured similar challenges last season and came through them with flying colours.
In the first three rounds of the Cup last season, the Brewers beat St Albans 6-0 at home, won 3-1 at Brackley Town and then 5-0 at Boreham Wood, setting up a home tie against West Ham United in the fourth round.
Asked about the Diamonds date, Bowyer said: "If we win, people will just say 'oh, you're expected to win'.
"The experiences we had last season have set us up nicely for this game, because we had three potential stories last season, all against non-League opposition.
"But then it quickly flips, because we get West Ham at home and then it's us that is the underdog.
"That's the beauty of the FA Cup.
"There have been wonderful stories from watching it when I was a kid, to then managing in it, and the players that have fabulous runs in the competition still tell the stories now.
"But we have to be professional and do the basics on Saturday, and play with the intensity we know we are capable of."
Diamonds will be backed by a travelling army of 2,000 supporters at the Pirelli on Saturday, and although that is no surprise to Bowyer, he is urging the Burton fans to turn out in force as well.
"They are bringing 2,000 fans, and that is fantastic," said Bowyer. "And do you know what I hope?
"That those fans who come to the game, go back to Rushden the following Saturday and keep supporting them, and keep putting money into the club and keep growing, and that they can get back to where they were many years ago.
"It's funny how many fans come out when it's the FA Cup and you have packed stadiums, and then the following week there not there.
"I hope it's going to be a great atmosphere, and if they are bringing 2,000 fans we want as many of our fans in the stadium as possible to build that atmosphere even more."
Burton, who were beaten 2-0 at Wycombe Wanderers last Saturday, do have plenty of injury issues going into the weekend.
They will be without the likes of Jack Armer, George Evans, Fin Delap, Kyran Lofthouse and Caylan Vickers.