This interview with Brakes 'keeper Richard Morris is courtesy of Trinity Mirror's Colin Stoner:

There can't be too many players whose greatest football moment is conversely their worst. Just ask Richard Morris to pick out the highlight in his seven years at Leamington and playing in the FA Cup first round proper in 2005 is the instantaneous answer. But as the goalkeeper who conceded nine goals in a 9-1 defeat at Colchester United it was a bitter-sweet experience.

 "My best memory would be the whole experience of playing in the Cup first round at Colchester - it was just conceding nine goals that spoiled it," said Morris. "It was a funny game because we were well in the game at 1-0 just before half-time but it ended a real battering. But the thing I remember was still getting cheered off the pitch by the fans.  "I've been fortunate to win titles and trophies since I came back to the club just three games into the season they were reformed. But just the excitement factor about the Cup was something amazing."

Arguably, today's FA Trophy trip to former League side Halifax Town is only second to the Colchester adventure since the club was reborn in 2000, but win, lose or draw the Brakes will be celebrating tonight.

The players will head back across the Pennines for their Christmas night out in Manchester and Morris admits the result in the first round tie will decide whether it goes with a high-explosive bang or a wearisome whimper. "We were supposed to having our Christmas do last week but the Ricky Hatton fight was on and everybody wanted to stay at home and watch that," said Morris. "So we decided to detour from Halifax and go out in Manchester.The lads have been out before in Leeds and Liverpool so we wanted to do something different."

The Brakes, however, travel north with hope and confidence to face the Blue Square Premier hosts. Jason Cadden's men lie top of the British Gas Business Midlands in their first season back at the level in two decades and they have reached the Trophy first round after defeating three higher-ranked teams, including a stunning last-round success at Fisher Athletic. They will also be cheered by around 5-700 Leamington fans today.

"The Trophy is new to most of us - we've never played in it until this season," said Morris, who is the second longest-serving Brake after Josh Blake. "But everything has been new this season after we won the title last season to get promoted. But we're lucky to have a few older heads like Martin Hier, Craig Dutton and Morton Titterton who have played at this level. They pass on plenty of advice but the message is to go out and enjoy your football.We've shown what we can do. I'm not surprised we have done well because I think we have got ability in the side. But to be honest I didn't think we would be top of the table.The top six was the aim for us. Now after the start we have had we are setting our sights on winning promotion as champions."

Morris, who is nearing 250 appearances for Leamington, has played in the Brakes' FA Vase exploits, reaching the quarter-finals last season before losing to Curzon Ashton. But he sees the roles being very much reversed in the Trophy, especially today. Though Halifax lie seventh from bottom in the Blue Square Premier, they are full-time and missed out on promotion in 2006 in the play-off final. "We enjoyed the Vase runs but we were one of the bigger sides in that competition," said Morris, a bricklayer by trade. "Now we are small fish in a big pond.Halifax will be expected to win easily. But Evesham gave them a good game when they played in the FA Cup and lost in a replay by a single goal. We're going to have to raise our game but we seem to do that against the better teams and hopefully that will be the case on Saturday."

Our thanks to both Colin and Richard.