Horsham boss Dom di Paola has welcomed his club’s 700-mile round trek in the FA Cup.

But he hopes their great adventure in the famous old competition reaps greater rewards much closer to home.

Hornets upset the odds by beating National League side Woking 1-0 in the fourth qualifying round on Saturday.

The reward was perhaps not one of obvious appeal as they were sent to Carlisle United in the first round proper.

But fans cheered the draw as they watched on the clubhouse television and Di Paola believes they can make a great weekend out of it.

He will also be aware the Cumbrians are at a low ebb right now after slipping into the League Two relegation places.

Horsham have previously had home draws when they have reached this stage in previous years.

They drew Swindon in 1966 and then Maidenhead in 2007, followed by Swansea City in the second round.

Di Paola said: “Personally I wanted an away game against a Football League team.

“The supporters can decamp to Scotland, more or less.

“Hopefully it’s a really good weekend for everyone involved.

“They aren’t in great form but it’s still three steps above us.

“We have got to the first round and it has been such a long time for the club.

“We are going to enjoy it and hopefully everyone will have some memories to take away.

“They still talk about the Swansea game and the Swindon game here.

“We don’t know yet what day the game will be but we will do it properly.”

Former Albion duo Shamir Fenelon and Doug Tuck missed the Woking game, as did centre-back Danny Dudley.

The challenge now for all is to play for places at Brunton Park.

Horsham need to climb away from the wrong end of the Isthmian League premier table, starting at home to Cheshunt tonight.

Di Paola said: “The biggest thing now is bringing everybody back to normality.

“We have got some key league games beforehand and that has to be my priority.

“We have a massive backlog of games due to the cup run but you’d never turn it down.

“Everyone is playing for a place in that game now.

“There can’t be anyone who thinks they are guaranteed a place because we have seen the players we have missed and what the squad can do.

“Now it’s open season because we will pick a team on form.”

They would also love to see many of the 2,000 fans who packed the Camping World Community Stadium return.

Horsham spent more than a decade without a home after selling their old Queen Street ground.

Di Paola said: “People can’t commit to being at football all the time, I understand that, but hopefully we get 100 or 150 who are there at certain games and it becomes a bit more of their routine.

“What was brilliant to see on Saturday was so many kids running around trying to get players’ autographs.

“I look at that and I think that’s what I’d be doing if I was six or seven years old.

“They might get a connection to the football club now. We’ve lost ten years of that.

“You look at Worthing and places like that and they have developed links with the town.

“You go down there and it’s now a much younger crowd than it was.”

Tonight (7.45pm)

Isthmian premier: Horsham v Cheshunt.

Isthmian south-east: Haywards Heath v Chichester, Hythe Town v Hastings, Whitehawk v Burgess Hill.

SCFL premier: Eastbourne Town v Saltdean (7.30pm), Littlehampton v Broadbridge Heath (7.30pm), Loxwood v Newhaven.

SCFL division one: Epsom and Ewell v Oakwood.

Peter Bentley Cup: Dorking Wanderers Res v Horsham YMCA.

Sussex RUR Cup: Forest row v Montpelier Villa, Peacehaven v Storrington.

Dennis Probee Cup: Hassocks v Crawley Down Gatwick.