CHIPPENHAM Park boss Dave Ferris hopes the side’s exciting run in the FA Vase will prove to his players that they can cut it at a higher level.

Park clinched a place in the second round of the competition with a 2-1 triumph at Hellenic League Premier Division high flyers Ardley United on Saturday.

The Toolstation League First Division minnows booked themselves a home Hardenhuish Park tie with Premier Division local rivals Bradford Town on November 22 as goals from Mark Robinson and George Nash edged them home in Oxfordshire.

The triumph followed on from their previous round win over Whitchurch, also from a higher level, with Ferris, pictured, viewing their progress as a boost to their long-term ambitions.

“We’ve played two teams from a higher level now and we’ve deserved to win both those games,’’ he told the Gazette & Herald.

“We’ve deserved to go through the rounds and it does show that we have the ability to compete at that level.

“The cup is a one-off opportunity, if you like, so maybe the pressure is not on as much as in league games.

“But if we have the serious desire to get promoted, we have to be playing like that on a regular basis.

“I think our current league position (17th) is false but we need to start picking up points in the league.’’ He added: “We’ve got Bradford next and they beat us twice in the league last season.

“It’s a tough game, but if you go further in cup competitions, you don’t expect anything less.’’ Ferris heaped praise on his side for dealing with Ardley’s direct threat, while down to the bare bones in squad terms.

He added: “We had a centre-half, Dan Price, in goal and young Charlie Norman, who is only 17 and from the U18s, coming into defence.

“Then we lost Dan Jordan to a dislocated shoulder.

“But it soon became apparent to Ardley that we wouldn’t be rolling over. The workrate was superb.’’

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