Horsham can stand the heat – but can they handle FA Cup pressure?

The Hornets defeated Cheshunt 1-0 on a day of intense heat at the Camping World Community Stadium, with players from both sides out on their feet by the end of the 90 minutes. See 61 pictures from the match by John Lines here.

This weekend may bring heat of a different kind – as in-form lower-division Marlow come to town looking for an FA Cup shock.

Manager Dom Di Paola knows the Hornets will have to be on their guard in the tie – the winners of which will be just two wins from the first round proper.

Horsham have their own FA Cup exploits fresh in their minds – having reached the first round two years ago, when they lost at Carlisle United.

They go into the tie buoyed by a fourth win in six in the Isthmian premier, which moved them up to sixth spot and which Di Paola felt they deserved.

He said: “We were the better team, I felt. Cheshunt had a good go with 15 minutes to go, as you’d expect, but we were pretty comfortable.

"Conditions were the hottest I’ve ever known, I think, as a player or manager. We had to take one player off after half-time then a couple more later and at the end all the players were out on their feet.

"I think we’re better suited to playing in the middle of winter, to be honest!”

Di Paola said it was pleasing the Hornets had won four of their opening half-a-dozen games and said: “We could have had a couple more points with a bit of luck.”

But it’s the Cup that takes their focus this week and the manager is looking forward to taking on visitors who are fifth in the Isthmian south central division.

"It’s nice to have a home tie but we will have to be at it,” he said. "Marlow have had a very good start to the season and they’ve nothing to lose coming to us. We’d love to get further but the moment you get ahead of yourselves you can trip up, so we’ll just concentrate on this tie.”

Jack Brivio is still having hamstring trouble but Harvey Sparks and Doug Tuck are on the way back to full fitness.