Addicks striker Paul Hayes spoke to his club's official website ahead of Charlton's FA Cup second round tie at home to Carlisle on Saturday afternoon, Hayes hoping to feature from the start in the game, as he did in the first round at the Shay :
"Halifax was a tough game, the FA Cup is supposed to be an opportunity for the underdog to win. It was on a Sunday on the television and the weather up there was grim, and as the gaffer (Chris Powell) said, we had everything to lose and nothing to gain. We went and did a professional job, and our quality and fitness shone through in the closing stages.
"I wasn't watching the draw in the tunnel afterwards - I was on the phone to my wife. Someone shouted out we were playing them, but I was glad I wasn't watching as I would have thought they had forgotten our ball! When it was us and Carlisle left, I think the view was 'please, a home game, please'. It's a heck of a long way to go for the FA Cup. We said it doesn't matter who we play as long as it's a home game, so we were happy.
"I think it's one of those things when you are young - that FA Cup magic is drummed into you. I've got a good scoring record in the competition and it was a massive feeling to score in those big games - that's something that will never leave me. Right now the world is our oyster. If we win on Saturday against Carlisle, we are in the draw with all those big clubs again.
"It helps that we played them recently, so we will understand a bit more about their players. We started very well in that league game and were 3-0 up at half-time. We had just come out of a bad run, losing and drawing, and we had to make sure we performed that day and we did. They were gutted, but since then they have done well. They have got themselves in and around the play-offs and are starting to push on. It's going to be a tough game and you can't take it for granted. But whatever team the gaffer puts out, we feel confident as we are at home and have the fans behind us. We want to get in the third round."
Meanwhile Burnley-loanee centre-half Leon Cort commented to the official Charlton website :
"It is a squad game but I feel involved at Charlton, and I'd rather I was doing what I am here than what I was doing at Burnley, and I don’t want to see that place again to be honest with you. The gaffer has put some good sessions together for everyone to get involved in. If I get the chance to do well on Saturday, hopefully I'll do well. I feel alive again and I'm enjoying my football. I'm enjoying my training and obviously I want to play more games. But it's a squad thing and everyone's together doing really, really well and everyone is together, so there's no better feeling than that.
"The FA Cup is good, it is a nice distraction, I think. It gets other people games and others involved, but it's also a chance for those who have done well to rest their legs a bit, and the week after we are up and running again. A lot of the lads have said that Carlisle will not want to go through what they did at The Valley in October again, I know some of the goals they conceded were the keeper (Adam Collin) making an error and things like that, they will definitely try to get one over us this time."
It’s tough to know who Charlton boss Chris Powell will rest for tomorrow’s cup tie, but as far as definite absentees are concerned the Addicks will be missing five players. Firstly influential skipper Johnnie Jackson is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, while fellow midfielders Dale Stephens and Spaniard Olano Mikel Alonso are both out with ankle problems. The other player absent on treatment table duties being teenage centre-back Harry Osborne who is a long-term absentee after suffering a double fracture of his right fibula in a pre-season match against Gillingham.
Loanee-winger Hogan Ephraim meanwhile is the fourth and final confirmed absentee tomorrow as his parent club Queens Park Rangers have not given him permission to play in the FA Cup, that not being the case though for Leon Cort from Burnley and Darel Russell from Preston, who are both allowed to feature. Midfielder Russell may be rested though after picking up a slight calf strain in Monday’s 2-0 home win over Huddersfield, with striker Yann Kermorgant (ankle) also now in the same situation following that match.
The referee for tomorrow's match is Andy Madley from Ossett in West Yorkshire and he will be assisted down the lines by Paul Kelly from Walderslade in Kent and Rob Whitton from Braintree in Essex. Meanwhile the fourth official is Michael Webb from Woking in Surrey.