STOCKTON Town manager Micky Dunwell says that playing both legs of their Buildbase FA Vase semi-final on their Bishopton Road West 4G pitch against Marske won’t make any difference at all.

Saturday’s first leg of the biggest non-league game on Teesside for many years was due to be played at Marske’s Mount Pleasant ground, but it was switched to Stockton in the middle of the week because of the waterlogged state of the pitch, which has already caused several postponements of Marske’s league games.

“Nothing will change as far as we’re concerned, we will still approach the game in exactly the same way,” he said.

“We like to get the ball down and knock it about, just like Marske do. We only know one way of playing. We’ll be going into the game as underdogs, but we don’t mind because we relish a challenge and we’ll be up for that.

“Apart from the Whickham game early in the run and maybe even Windsor and Stourport later in the competition, we’ve been underdogs. West Auckland were similar to Marske in that they have a decent budget to get players and they were favourites to win the game. We stuck to our task and beat them in what was one of the best games in the competition. We scored a last minute winner but the game could have gone either way.

“We could cancel each other out. A lot of players are very similar and have qualities in certain areas. I think on the day, there won’t be a lot between the two teams going forward.

"We’re as good a match as anyone, and Marske will probably say the same thing. But it’s about what happens on the day, the Vase is completely different to league games. We lost to Marske earlier in the season when we were on our bad run, but we’re a completely different team to what we were then. Having said that, they are as well. But we’re confident that we can get the result.

“It’s great for the Teesside area that the two clubs have done well, it’s a shame that we couldn’t have avoided each other and met in the final. There hasn’t been such a big game since Billingham Synthonia got to the semi-final a few years ago, and Guisborough got to the final in 1980. At least one of us will be there, hopefully it’s us.”

Marske manager Carl Jarrett is looking forward to playing both games on a 4G surface, especially as they beat Bracknell on a similar surface in the last round.

“It really doesn’t bother us at all, because we train on a 4G surface every week, and we’ve only lost once in three years on a 4G. Everyone knows that our pitch isn’t the greatest, and so it made sense to switch. They will be two great matches, with plenty of people watching.

“I can definitely see two close ties, I don’t think there will be loads of goals in them. They’ve got some good players who we will have to keep quiet. We know how they play, but it will be the same with us, Micky has got some dangerous players in certain areas.

“I think most of my squad know all of their squad, and some of them knock about with each other. It will be interesting to see who takes to the occasion on the day. If we play to the ability that we have, and our mentality and attitude are bang on, then I think we’ll give Stockton a really good game over the two legs.”

Jarrett, who previously managed at Billingham Town with Dunwell as his assistant, is playing down the favourites tag.

“We’ve been favourites to win the competition for the last two rounds, but I’m not a big believer in that. It’s not me who says that we’re favourites, but the bookmakers. People say that we’ve had a good season and then look at our squad and see us a strong team, but as everyone knows, but anything can happen in cup competitions.

"There have been favourites earlier in the competition, such as Morpeth, North Shields, West Auckland and Shildon, and all of them have been knocked out.

“I’m a Stockton lad, so it’s quite an emotional game for me. I know a lot of their players who have played for me in the last two or three years. We don’t need to scout each other because we both know how we play, I’m expecting a typical Northern League game in which it’s going to be hard and physical.

“A lot of people are saying that we’re going to Wembley, but it’s by no means definite at all, especially against Stockton.”

Both managers are close friends, and often go out together.

“We worked together at Billingham Town for two and a half years, and then Micky went out on his own,” said Jarrett. “He’s done a fantastic job at Stockton. We go out together quite a bit, but he never goes to the bar much!”

Dunwell said: “Friendships will go out of the window really until after both games. We both aim to get to Wembley.”