POPPIES old boy Shaun Brooks insists Ken Vaughan has the motivational powers to give the FA Vase underdogs additional bite tomorrow.

The Bournemouth outfit will be aiming to continue their record-breaking run when they host Northern League opponents Billingham Synthonia in a fifth-round replay at Victoria Park (3pm).

Following last Saturday’s 0-0 draw in the north east, the teams will face off for £2,500 in prize money and the chance to entertain competition favourites West Auckland Town in the quarter-finals.

Poppies are big outsiders – with Dorset bookmakers Jem Racing rating the Dorset outfit as 25-1 hopefuls to claim the prestigious silverware – but Brooks is hopeful they can continue to upset the odds.

The ex-AFC Bournemouth midfielder, now Cherries’ head of youth, is a former Poppies manager and knows current boss Vaughan after playing for his successful Sunday football team at the end of his playing career.

Brooks expects Synners to be given a rude awakening when they visit the Wessex Premier club.

He told the Daily Echo: “What Kenny does is he knows players, he always gets good players around him and he is a good man-motivator.

“His teams have always had a really good team spirit and have been really hard to beat and really competitive.

“I think he would possibly be one of the first to admit that Bournemouth Poppies is not the nicest place in the world to play, so I don’t think too many teams relish coming down there. The fact they have got the replay back at their place probably bodes well for them.

“I know some of the Royston team because I have got family who live up that way. Royston are a good footballing team and I think they came down in the previous round and set out to try to play, and their game-plan was turned upside down because of the pitch.

“I’m sure Kenny will get his team motivated to get in among them and they have got every chance of, hopefully, doing well and progressing to the next round. To make it this far is an amazing achievement for the club.”

Brooks advised Poppies’ players to avoid being distracted by an increased crowd and the prospect of closing in on a Wembley final.

He added: “There will be an added incentive to the game but what they have got to try to do is play the game and not the occasion.

“They will get in among the opposition, play to their strengths and be direct when they have got to be.

“I think Kenny is a good motivator of players and I wish them all the best.”

Poppies: (from) Frampton, Crow, Jackson, Crutcher, Blake, Cream, Pinder, Rowley, Ewen, Saadi, Hogan, Ingram, Taylor, Daysh, Phillipson-Masters, Mas, Vaughan.