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Sam Rock set for Stourbridge return ahead of FA Cup tie

Stourbridge were today set to welcome back Sam Rock as manager Gary Hackett urged them to make history against Stevenage tomorrow.

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Rock has not kicked a ball for the Glassboys since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in November last year.

But after a long road to recovery he is set to be a shock inclusion on the bench for tomorrow's FA Cup second round game at the Lamex Stadium.

The Glassboys are looking to reach the third round for the first time in their history having reached the first round in 2009 and the second in 2011 – when they were beaten by tomorrow's opponents.

Hackett said: "If we win and make the third round we will have achieved something which perhaps at first we might not recognise the significance of.

"But the name of Stourbridge will go down in the history books for a long, long time.

"That is what we are trying to achieve."

Stourbridge will travel down to Hertfordshire later today and Hackett says they have taken every care to make sure players are fresh from the game, particularly when taking into account the rigours of the past few weeks.

The Glassboys have played six games since the 4-1 first round win over Biggleswade Town on November 9, including tiring midweek trips to North Ferriby and Burnham. In the past couple of months, the Stour squad have clocked up more than 2,000 miles of travelling to away fixtures.

But Hackett says come tomorrow, they can have no excuses.

"We will be doing everything right," he said.

"It's been a very tough few weeks, we have played a lot of games and done a lot of travelling but that is all part of being successful.

"It's not been ideal but the players have had a chance to take a bit of a break and on Saturday I think we will be okay."

The Glassboys would claim £27,000 with victory tomorrow having already brought in £50,000 in prize money alone in this year's competition.

Coupled with the windfalls from the 2009 and 2011 runs, Hackett believes the club is set up well for the future.

"The club is very stable and the money we've brought in over recent years has been used to build the infrastructure," he said.

"Some of our best signings have been made off the pitch. The likes of (chairman) Andy Pountney have been fantastic for us."

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