Bookies back big guns

This preview of tomorrow's Trophy games comes from Square Football Website:

The FA Trophy reaches the last 16 stage this weekend and the book makers are backing the big guns from the Conference to reassert that division's dominance. In the past 3 seasons the winners have come from outside non-league's top flight- probably a reflection of changing priorities as so many of the Conference clubs are set on winning a place in the Football League.

This year the top three sides in the Conference are all still in the hunt and Accrington Stanley, Exeter City and Hereford United all have home ties. Edgar Street hosts the tie of the round when 5th placed Grays Athletic come visiting. Stanley should see off Worksop from Conference North and Exeter are hot favourites to beat Cambridge City (not the ex-League side United).

So at least three of the Conference top 5 should be in the last eight and FA Cup battlers Tamworth- finalists in this competition in 2003- are still going strong and host a tough to call tie with Dagenham and Redbridge. In fact there could be as many as seven Conference sides in the last eight; only the Salisbury City-Stalybridge Celtic pairing guarantees that the elite can't take all the spots.

Curiously, many bookmakers have Exeter City as favourites despite Accrington's 3-1 victory on the Grecians' patch last Monday, though Ladbrokes stick with Stanley. All the big hitters are short-priced and for good each way value look at Stafford Rangers of Conference North, drawn in a winnable home tie with Conference strugglers Forest Green. Rangers removed high flying Morecambe in the last round.

Accrington Stanley 3/1

Exeter City 4/1

Hereford United 6/1

Grays Athletic 8/1

Woking 8/1

Crawley Town 14/1

Stafford Rangers 14/1

20/1 bar

Prices from Ladbrokes

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