THE manager of Chertsey Town has said he expects an FA Vase semi-final encounter with Northwich Victoria to be settled by the narrowest of margins.

Dave Anderson brings his side, who play in the Combined Counties League’s Premier Division, to Wincham Park from Surrey on Sunday for the first leg.

“You’d be a brave man to put money on who will win,” he told the Non-League Show podcast.

“When you look at the size of the competition, and how many clubs enter it, then you can be assured that there will be no mugs if you make it to the last four.

“It will be a very, very close call.”

The Curfews had been due to travel north last weekend only for persistent and heavy rainfall in mid Cheshire to prompt a postponement on Friday.

Cray Valley Paper Mills edged out Canterbury City in the first leg of the other semi-final and they meet again this afternoon.

It means one side will already be assured of contesting the final at Wembley in May before the other game has even started.

Anderson said: “We can’t think about that and we’d be foolish if we did.

“Who is through to the final already is irrelevant because we’re not!

“We need to stay in the real world and the fixture we have in front of us is all that we can focus on.”

Anderson, who counts AFC Wimbledon, Northwood and Harrow Borough among his former clubs, celebrated a year in charge at Chertsey last week.

He steered them clear of relegation last season and has turned them into promotion-contenders during the current campaign.

They occupy second spot in the table, four points adrift of leaders Sutton Common Rovers with six games in hand.

However the Curfews are not scheduled to resume their title bid until next month.

“We can only deal with our situation,” said Anderson.

“For me, I find it easy to concentrate on the next game and I’ve found out over the years that if you don’t, and you look too far in front or even behind, then you trip up.

“We’ve a routine and we’re happy with it.

“And we’re not stupid either; we know that we’re up against a massive name in non-league football.

“It’s a tough ask, but we’re not a bad side.”