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I’m a Premier League cult hero and former FA Cup winner but have also been on wrong end of a giant-killing
The goalkeeper had his say on Coventry's upcoming clash with Maidstone
STEVE Ogrizovic says he has had the ‘best and worst’ the FA Cup has to offer.
The former Coventry City keeper was a Wembley winner in 1987 as the Sky Blues beat Tottenham.
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But, less than two years later, he found himself on the end of one of the competition’s biggest shocks as the Sky Blues were beaten by then non-League side Sutton United.
As if that was not enough, Ogrizovic was the club's goalkeeping coach when Worcester City beat Coventry in the Cup nearly a decade ago.
Last season, he was commentating on local radio as then-National League Wrexham beat Coventry in a third round thriller.
Tonight, Mark Robins’ side could make the quarter-finals - or they may suffer again at the hands of non-league opposition.
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Ogrizovic knows only too well what is at stake as National League South side Maidstone come to the CBS Arena looking to pull off another upset after their win at Ipswich Town.
Coventry legend Ogrizovic said: “You don’t need to tell me how dangerous non-league sides are. Maidstone will play like men possessed because non-league sides always do.
“Make no mistake, they deserve to be here, too. Coventry are going to have to be absolutely at it to make sure they are not embarrassed again.
“I’ve tried to block Sutton out of my mind. David Phillips scored and we had loads of chances.
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“It doesn’t help at all that it was on Match of the Day. There for the whole world to see.
“But, I have to give credit where it is due, Sutton were outstanding on the day.
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“Worcester was a different one. But I was there again. I seem to have my fingerprints over a lot of this, don’t I? The good and the bad.
“Lee Burge was sent off and we lost 2-1. It was a difficult moment at a pretty awful time for the club.
“Wrexham was a little different. They might have been non-league at the time but their side was packed with seasoned professionals who had league experience.
“But I’ve had the best and worst that the FA Cup has to offer.
“Back in the day, there was nothing like winning the FA Cup. There was little difference between winning the league and the FA Cup, it was highly prestigious.
"It’s lost a bit of glamour now but you have to balance it against the profile you get if you do win it, which is massive.”
Coventry’s preparations for the tie did not go to plan on Friday as they were beaten 3-0 by play-off rivals Preston.
Ogrizovic added: “The Maidstone game is tricky because the whole world - apart from Coventry fans - will want them to get through.
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“Mark Robins and No2 Aidy Viveash won’t allow anything other than total respect for Maidstone.
“They’ll treat the game as if it was a Championship fixture.”