CHIPPENHAM Town were handed a five-figure cash boost on Tuesday night when edging past Cirencester Town at Hardenhuish Park in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup.

In total, the club scooped £6,750 after beating their Gloucestershire rivals in dramatic circumstances as Nat Jarvis’ extra-time strike from halfway fooled the visiting keeper to secure a 4-3 win in the midweek replay.

Mark Collier’s side will now face Slough Town in the competition’s third qualifying round.

And with the losers of that tie set to pick up £3,000, Collier emphasised the importance of football’s oldest competition to all clubs operating at non-league level.

But the Bluebirds’ Cup graft has only just started, especially given players will now split 50 per cent of the club’s winning prize money from this moment.

Collier said: “There are big incentives for the players from this moment.

“A small cup run can make a lot of difference, and it’s our intention to stay in the competition for as long as we can.”

Collier knows all about giant-killings in the FA Cup having previously guided Swindon Supermarine to the second round of the competition in 2010-11.

Marine made it all the way to round two that season, eventually falling to Football League outfit Colchester United.

And a similar cup run certainly wouldn’t be turned down by the Bluebirds chief despite his main aim of stabilising the club at National League South level.

He added: “When you play a team that is a couple of divisions above, you view the game as a free hit – there’s no pressure or expectation.

“Cirencester fed off that theory very well.”