PERSONAL pride, respect for the magic of the FA Cup and love of club and colleagues are reason enough for Matt Tubbs to run out onto the hallowed turf of the Ray Mac on Saturday, ready to give his all for the team.

But Salisbury City's star striker will have the added motivation of a private score to settle against one of Fleetwood Town's Cod Men.

Footballing paths cross all the time in strange and fortuitous ways.

So it is that one of the central defenders Tubbs will be aching to embarrass with his silky skills will be one of his old best mates - a player with whom he shared his earliest experiences in football, as a youngster at Bolton Wanderers.

He explained: "Martin Moran and his housemate were always best mates with me and my housemate.

"We spent the days together playing football and then we'd all go out and have a laugh."

But while Tubbs' subsequent career brought him to Salisbury City, by way of AFC Bournemouth and Dorchester Town, Moran remained up north to ply his trade.

But, no sooner had the dust settled on this year's first round draw, than Tubbs took a phonecall from his old pal.

"He asked me if I was still playing for Sales-bury," he laughed.

"They've obviously never heard of the place!"

But Moran also had a friendly warning for the impish marksman.

Tubbs added: "He's let me know he intends to meg me, given half a chance.

"I think that means we've now got a little bit of a duel on to see who can put the ball through the other's legs!"

But the opportunity to get together and reminisce with an old mate, while welcome, is not about to distract Tubbs from his task - to help Salisbury into the second round for only the second time in 50 years.

Drawing a fellow non-league side at this stage may have denied Salisbury a glamour tie such as their 2003 away day at Sheffield Wednesday, but it has its compensations.

Three years ago, Tubbs had only just joined the Whites and well remembers making the trip to Hillsborough with his new colleagues, although he missed out on playing on that exciting day.

He said: "I was cup-tied. It was absolutely gutting. I'd been on the bench for Dorchester. We'd been 3-0 down and I was thrown on for literally a couple of minutes at the end.

"It made no difference at the time, but it meant that I couldn't play."

But nothing is about to stop Tubbs playing his part against Fleetwood on Saturday - a game he is very much looking forward to.

He said: "I think I'm due a goal.

"Hopefully there'll be a really big crowd up here on Saturday - it would be particularly nice to score in front of them.

"But whether it's 1-0 or 5-0 - it doesn't matter as long as we find a way to win and get through to the next round."

It's heady stuff for both of Saturday's opponents, knowing that further progress in the most famous cup competition in the world lies well within their grasp.

The potential significance of the draw is not lost on Tubbs.

He said: "I heard the draw with Turks Wayne Turk and our first reaction was disappointment that they were a league lower.

"Notts Forest would have been another Sheffield for us.

"It took a few minutes for it to dawn on us that this draw gives us a real chance to go through and get something even better."

Salisbury City's path to the first round has been far from smooth, with tough away ties at fellow Conference South sides Eastleigh and Fisher Athletic.

Not that Tubbs minds having to work hard for a prize as precious as a place in the later stages of the FA Cup.

"They were both strong sides with tough formations but they were worth beating.

"It's one of the biggest competitions in the world, yet there's always a non-league side that has a good run.

"Look at Yeading playing Newcastle the other year."

But, for now, the focus is 100-per-cent on Saturday and Tubbs has no doubt that City's FA Cup-winning boss will point his players the right way to give a good account of themselves.

He said: "No-one knows more than Nick what it's all about.

"I'm sure he'll have some words of wisdom for us - and we'll try to take it from there."

Tubbs' memories of watching the FA Cup as a fan are suprisingly hazy, dating back only as far as Eric Cantona's goal against Liverpool in the 1996 final.

Typical really. Perhaps the ace marksman's greatest FA Cup memory has yet to be created.

Fingers crossed it will not be of passively watching someone ele's victory but of a cup dream that he himself helped to make a reality.