Sutton Common Rovers will try once again this weekend to reach the last 16 of the FA Vase, and boss Darren Salmon is keeping his fingers crossed.

After waiting an age to discover they would play Bowers & Pitsea on January 16, a tie that was postponed from January 9 because of a fixture back-log caused by the incessant rain, the match was postponed again due to a frozen pitch.

Rovers are now due to travel to the Essex side on Saturday with a trip for the victors to either Bodmin Town or Ipswich Wanderers, plus a cheque for £1,300.

Salmon said: “Last Saturday we were sat outside Sutton United with a 70-seater coach at 10.45am, waiting on the results of a second pitch inspection at Bowers & Pitsea.

“Then the news came through that it had been called off.”

He added: “It has been frustrating and we’re finding that we’re becoming a victim of our own success.

“We’re having to cram in fixtures now, and when the FA Vase games are postponed, we have the logistics of coach hire to rearrange, the players have to try to get time off work again, some won’t be available, some will.

“You also have the trouble of making sure players behave themselves on a Friday night, keep them motivated, only to let them down come Saturday.”

The financial implications have left Salmon down in the mouth as there is no help from the Football Association.

He said: “It’s a bug bear that you don’t get any financial help from the FA and that the prize money is sometimes eclipsed by the expenses on the day.

“Our coach travel costs around £600 and we only get £3 per mile in expenses from the FA, more often than not, progressing in the competition costs you money.”

He added: “But we’d rather be in the competition than not, the buzz it creates is great and we’ve been getting messages of support from right across the borough. It’s apt that it has fallen in the season we returned to Sutton.

“We have been underdogs all the way to this stage and we like that, and it’s the same again this weekend.”

Bowers & Pitsea are sixth in the Essex Senior League although they have at least three games in hand on their rivals.

Salmon will be without Hamilton Antonio, who is on trial at QPR with a decision expected by the end of the month, and goalkeeper Leigh Bowden (groin), with Harvey Cheadle continuing to deputise.