ANDY Preece admits he faces an unenviable task in trying to knock his former Blackpool teammate’s side out of the FA Trophy tomorrow, Saturday.

Vics’ third qualifying round opponents Fleetwood Town, bossed by Micky Mellon, have yet to lose at home this season.

“We’re playing against a team that will be chomping at the bit to come at us,” he said.

“They won 8-0 last Saturday and so will be full of confidence. However we’re now unbeaten in 13 matches and we have to keep that run going.

“We’re going to be tested, no doubt about it.”

Something has to give at Highbury.

Vics have not lost against anybody since September 5 when they lost 1-0 at Corby Town in Blue Square North.

But in the Fishermen they face one of their toughest tests yet.

Preece added: “They are the big team in our division in terms of the personnel they have at their disposal and they money they have spent putting the team together.

“I’m under no illusion that it’s a really tough draw [for us] but it will be interesting to see how we handle the pressure of such an important game.”

Preece, like captain Simon Grand earlier this week, has dismissed doubts that he will pick a team to face Fleetwood with one eye on next weekend’s televised FA Cup clash with Lincoln City.

“That won’t happen,” he vowed.

“The FA Trophy is a competition we want to do well in and I won’t allow the FA Cup tie to be a distraction.

“To be fair it’s not been too difficult to focus [since beating Charlton Athletic] because the players know the league is what we need to do well in and that priority hasn’t changed.

“And if they want to play in the big FA Cup or FA Trophy games then they will only earn their place by doing the business in the league.

“I’m not afraid to leave people out.”

Preece played alongside opposite number Mellon in a Blackpool team that suffered play-offs agony against Bradford City in the mid-1990s.

The 42-year-old said he was not surprised to see the midfielder make it as a manager.

“Micky was always the sort of character who would go into management,” Preece told the Blackpool Gazette.

He also tipped Fleetwood to top the table come April, adding: “Without a points deduction [for entering administration in May] I think we would be challenging them.”