Grant Ward stated Bristol Rovers have a great opportunity to progress in the FA Cup before hosting Weston-super-Mare on Saturday.
The Gas will be looking to return to winning ways after back-to-back defeats in all competitions. However, they will be confident of getting a positive result at The Memorial Stadium after winning two of their three outings at home in October.
The Pirates reached the third round of the competition last campaign, beating Whitby Town and Crewe Alexandra before losing a replay to Championship side Norwich City.
Ward wants the Gas to advance in the FA Cup and praised the competition.
“It’s a great opportunity to get through the rounds and play a big team for a big day out for the fans and your family,” he said. “It’s a great tournament to be a part of, so hopefully we can progress.”
He later added: “You have to focus on your game, and everyone needs to make sure they’re 100 per cent up for it because they definitely will be. Then I think quality should take over.”
Ward scored for the Gas against Norwich in the FA Cup last term, cancelling out Ashley Barnes’ opener at Carrow Road to earn his side a draw. The midfielder shared that he has mixed memories of the competition and reflected positively on the game against the Canaries last term.
“I’ve had a few ups and downs,” said Ward. “A few upsets and a few goals as well. I scored in the last one, but I got injured as well.
“It would have been nice if we got the win, but probably would have been a bit disappointed not to be a part of it. It was one of those days, but I thought we played well, so it was a good experience.”
Ward suffered an injury after scoring against Norwich and missed the Gas’ next 12 Sky Bet League One games last season, with knocks across the campaign limiting him to only 15 league starts.
He has only missed two games in the third tier this season and has been delighted with the number of matches he has played.
“I’ve played quite a lot of games this season, so I’m hoping I can continue that,” he said. “We’re doing a lot on and off the pitch to hopefully combat that. So, it’s been good so far.
“Sometimes you might get a little niggle, but so far, touch wood, it’s been good. I haven’t really thought about it when I’ve been playing or training. Credit to the medical team.”
