THE Essex and Suffolk Border League representative team are gearing up for their biggest-ever fixture – and they will be represented by players from both Little Oakley and Harwich and Parkeston.

The side have reached the Carlsberg FA Inter League Cup quarter-finals for the first time and are now preparing for a showdown against the Spartan South Midlands League.

Tomorrow’s match, which is taking place at Harwich’s Royal Oak ground (kick-off 2pm), will feature the cream of the Border League and be managed by Shrimpers chairman Tony Armstrong.

Oakley’s Lewis Wood, Jamie Dobkin, Sean Kioussis, Steve Polley, Mark Palmer and Sam Eldridge are all set to be involved, in addition to Shrimpers goalkeeper Sam Felgate.

“It’s the biggest game in the history of the Border League rep team,” said Mick Willmore, the vice-chairman of the rep team, the Border League registration secretary and an Essex FA representative.

“It’s a massive competition and if you win, you get the chance to represent England overseas, in places like Italy.

“We’re quietly confident and I don’t think there will be any nerves.

“Our boys gel very well and play together like a club side.

“We take it very seriously and although it hasn’t been possible to watch the Spartan League’s full rep team, ten of their players play for Hale Leys United, in Aylesbury.

“We went to watch them recently and everything went through their central midfielder.

“We believe that if we can isolate him and stop him playing, we’ll be halfway to winning.”

The Border League team will be managed by Harwich chairman Armstrong, alongside assistant Lloyd Pentney and coaches Matt Carmichael and Mark Sharp.

The Border League team have already won three matches – all away from home – in this bi-annual competition, seeing off the Suffolk and Ipswich League and the Brighton, Hove and Worthing League, before knocking out previous holders Jersey, in November.

There will be two special guests at the game, both from the FA.

Former referee and now competitions vice-chairman Ray Lewis, the man who officiated during the Hillsbrough disaster in 1989, will be there, as will FA committee member Alec Berry.

As a result of this weekend’s big game, there are no Border League fixtures scheduled for Saturday.