Graham Malcolm is preparing his Flackwell Heath players for the biggest game of their lives on Saturday – despite concerns about whether their FA Vase last 16 clash will go ahead.

The Heathens are just one step away from the quarter-finals but could see their attempts to reach the last eight put on hold by Shaw Lane Aquaforce’s – their fifth round opponents – pitch problems. Barnsley based Aquaforce haven’t played on their own patch in the past month and were forced to play their fourth round replay against Walsall Wood at an alternative venue – Handsworth Parramore’s Sandy Lane – after the fixture had twice been postponed.

The Heath manager feels the clash is unlikely to go ahead, but will prepare his players to play nonetheless.

When asked if it’s the biggest game of his player’s careers Malcolm replied: “Without singling out individual people who may have had certain games in their careers, I would tend to agree.

“Everybody knows that it’s the last 16 of a national tournament which over 600 teams entered. I think it’s a win-win for experience, a win-win because it’s put Flackwell out there more and, make no mistake about it, by the time they’re ready to play we’re going there to win.

“We’re not going there to go ‘well, we’ve done very well to get to the last 16; everything’s a bonus’ I don’t agree with that. We’re going to win, why not?”

Whatever happens when the next instalment of Flackwell’s dream cup run takes place, it has already been a season to remember for the club and its supporters.

Malcolm’s men wrote themselves into the history books by reaching the last 16 for the first time, and are currently on a 22-game unbeaten run which has seen them still fighting on five fronts.

Heath have accumulated £13,500 during their cup exploits this season and have lost just three games in all competitions, and Malcolm has revelled in the achievements of his squad.

He said: “It’s a big, major tournament to be involved in and it’s great. The down side of course is that we’re trying to win a league, we’re currently still involved in five tournaments and with a backlog of fixtures it’s going to be difficult.

“What we’ve achieved for a club is outstanding. We haven’t won anything, but our achievements have been brilliant – it’s put the club on the map.

“Silverware, at the minute, is zero, but achievements very, very good. I just hope I can come away after Saturday and say we won or we lost but everything that we had was left out there.”

Heath will stay overnight in Nottingham on Friday before journeying to the ground on Saturday, pre-match preparation which is rare for a non-league club.

Malcolm said: “We’re ready to go, I’m really looking forward to it and the fact that we’re going up overnight is a whole new preparation for Flackwell Heath.

“That in itself is quite exciting to go up on the Friday, have dinner together, breakfast together and travelling to Nottingham together.

“It’s a whole new world really, if I’m being honest. We’ve just got to concentrate on what’s in front of us, and what’s in front of us is the last 16 of the Vase with an opportunity to go through to the last eight.”