MARK Collier hopes Chippenham Town’s rich vein of form will ensure they cash in when they open their FA Cup account at the weekend.

The Bluebirds roared to a 4-1 win at home to Cirencester Town on Bank Holiday Monday to maintain their unbeaten start to the season and head into September sitting top of the Southern League Premier Division table.

Collier is in no mood to surrender that form as he looks to extend that unblemished sequence to an eighth game on Saturday when Chippenham host Moneyfields in the FA Cup first qualifying round.

“We started the season well and to be top of the table after a couple of games is nice but to still be there at the end of the first month, and still unbeaten too, is particularly pleasing,” said Collier.

“We are scoring goals, we are playing well and we’re picking up some good wins away from home.

“We are disappointed that we haven’t won all the games but I can’t really complain too much and it’s a good time to be associated with Chippenham Town at the moment.

“At the start of the season we said we still want to be unbeaten at the end of the first month heading into the FA Cup so that we can put the league to bed for a week or so in good spirits and that’s what we are able to do.

“The FA Cup is very high on our priorities. We are in good form at the moment and we want to keep winning whatever competition we are in.

“And, of course, the financial side of things is very important to all clubs and Chippenham are no different, the chairman has reminded me of that. We will be taking the FA Cup and FA Trophy very seriously.”

The Bluebirds will start as strong favourites at Hardenhuish Park, with Moneyfields plying their trade two tiers lower in the Wessex League Premier Division.

However, the Portsmouth-based club are yet to taste defeat in any of their eight matches in all competitions this term so Collier says a home banker is far from a certainty.

“It’s a decent draw and I don’t think there are many teams left who are lower than Moneyfields in the pyramid. We will go in as favourites but we know that very rarely does that mean anything in the FA Cup,” said Collier.

“They are still unbeaten and they will be physical so we will give them all the respect they deserve but we know that if we play as well as we are capable of then we should be able to get another positive result.”

Conor McCormack is a doubt for the game with a thigh injury, while fellow defender Nuno Felix is unavailable.

n Bluebirds stay top on Bank Holiday Monday: P82