A disastrous dose of ill luck in a series of cup draws could deny Market Drayton the chance to stabilise their finances for a demanding Midland Alliance campaign.
Town are drawn away in the two preliminary rounds of the FA Cup – and also the first qualifying round, where Boston will be waiting.
They face travelling again, to Shrewsbury Town, in the Shropshire Senior Cup and in another blow to their bank balance, lady luck has dealt them out of two potentially money-spinning qualifiers in the FA Vase – they do not enter that contest until the first round.
Town manager Simon Line, who has had a virtually unchanged squad back in training for two weeks, makes light of the challenge.
“We fear no one at the level we’re talking about,” he said yesterday afternoon.
“Our away record was outstanding last season and I see no reason why that should change.
“We don’t know too much about Burrowash, our first FA Cup opponents, apart from the fact that they hail from Derby way and while Glapwell put us out of the FA Cup last year we were the better side over two games.
“Boston are an obvious incentive for us to get through and we are not disappointed by the draw – we don’t mind playing anyone.”
But with costly ground improvements looming and club chairman Alex Mutch publicly admitting it took last year’s FA Cup run kept them solvent, the pressure is already on Town to best lady luck.
