‘Outstanding’ – Cox reflects on Burgess Hill Town knocking Bognor out of the FA Cup

Two goals from Lewis Finney were enough to dump the Rocks out of the cup, the Hillians sealing the upset in classic fashion with a 90th-minute goal.

Finney’s second-minute opener got the Hillians on their way and for Cox, there was plenty to celebrate in between. “Overall, the performance was was outstanding,” said Cox.

“We played really well on the day and defensively looked really solid. Getting the early goal helped settle us down a bit.

“We wanted the second goal a little sooner and could have relaxed a bit sooner. But to get a goal at that stage obviously killed the game off.”

Following up on his 114th-minute extra-time winner at Erith in the previous round, Finney was again the hero of the tie, receiving the acclaim of a 400-strong crowd.

Having being convinced to remain with the club in the summer, Cox was keen to highlight how important Finney had been since.

He said: “After that conversation I had with him and the chairman, he has been nothing short of fantastic. He's been a really good team player.

“With the formation that we play, I think that role that he gets, floating around, suits him a lot.

“And what he's bringing to his game now is goals, which is crucial for us.”

The Hillians discovered their second round qualifying opponents on Monday, handed a trip to Sheppey United. As a fellow Isthmian South East side, the Ites were deemed satisfactory opponents by Cox.

“It's a winnable game, as they're in our league,” he said. “We would have preferred to be at home, of course, but it's a lovely pitch up there. I'm sure we'll have a good travelling support and it's certainly one we’ll be trying to win.”

Before planning that trip, though, the Hillians have FA Trophy action to attend to this weekend, with Hythe Town the visitors.

“It’ll be a tough game. They play a certain way, which we're aware of,” Cox said.

“Winning in cup competitions breeds confidence so when the league comes back, it’s there ready. After a great win on Saturday, I hope the boys are full of confidence.”