Cheltenham: Mark Yates says Everton FA Cup tie is winnable

Cheltenham Town manager Mark Yates believes they can beat Premier League side Everton in the FA Cup third round.

It will be the first ever meeting between the two clubs, with the Robins lying fourth in League Two, 67 places below their Merseyside opponents.

"Right at this moment in time we have to go in there with a belief that we can do ourselves proud and believe we can win," Yates told BBC Points West.

"And at this moment in time we do believe that."

Last season Cheltenham also faced Premier League opposition in the third round but lost 3-0 at White Hart Lane to Tottenham Hotspur.

That fixture brought in a reported six-figure sum to the club and the Gloucestershire side will earn £135,000 from their television deal this time around, to add to the £113,000 they have already accumulated in TV rights and prize money.

"Spurs put out a second string side and they were still too good for us," Yates added.

"This is slightly different. We're at home in front of our supporters on a pitch that, for our league, is one of the best.

"Hopefully that can level it out. Not that it is in any way, shape or form in a poor condition, but hopefully the surroundings they won't be used to.

"The tightness of the ground, the small changing rooms and hopefully on the day we can be as good as we can be and they're a little bit low, we get a little bit of luck and things happen for us."

The Robins have not reached the fourth round of the world's oldest football competition since John Ward's side lost 2-0 to Premier League side Newcastle United in 2006.

Last season's losing League Two play-off finalists could earn £90,000 if they progress, which could fund further signings as was the case when last year's run funded the arrival of Jermaine McGlashan.

However, manager Yates is well aware of the task they face from a side that has won four of their last six Premier League games.

"They [Everton] work really hard for each other and on top of that they've got undoubted quality and we're going to have to match that," he stated.

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