AFC Totton boss Stuart Ritchie says “the whole club is buzzing” ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Redditch United in the Evo-Stik Premier Division.

Not only do the Stags have next week’s massive FA Cup first round tie against Bradford Park Avenue to look forward to, but their youth team are also making history.

Having reached the FA Youth Cup first round for the first time in club his tory, Jim Thorne’s under-18s beat Exeter City’s young pros in a 3-2 thriller at the Testwood Stadium on Wednesday.

The young Stags took a tenth- minute lead through Scott Chester only to be stung by two goals in five minutes towards the end of the first half.

But Ollie Pascoe levelled on the stroke of half time and Jack Odam – two-goal hero of the previous round at Eastleigh – fired Totton’s young guns into dreamland with a 77th-minute winner.

“They were brilliant,” grinned Ritchie. “It was a really good game and a great result to beat a Football League club.

“I’m so proud of our youth team, they play some very good football.

“Everyone at the club is achieving at the moment. The whole place is buzzing and the atmosphere’s fantastic.”

Much as Ritchie needs to keep his players’ feet on the ground at Redditch, even he can’t help getting carried away by the thought of next Saturday’s maiden voyage into the FA Cup first round proper.

“Everyone’s talking about it,” he said. “It’s a massive game and we need to keep the momentum going at Redditch.

“We’ve lost our last couple of league games and we’ve been knocked off top spot, but our squad’s been a bit thin and we’ve had one or two people like Ian Richardson and Jamie Whisken carrying injuries.

“Ryan Scott is available again after suspension and we’ll probably involve people like Nathan Jack and John McKie who are cup-tied for the Bradford match.

“Mark Osman is back in training after a groin problem and Stefan Brown got through the whole game, including extra time, against Gosport in the Red Insure Cup on Tuesday, so he seems ok.

“But if there’s the slightest doubt over anyone tomorrow, I won’t risk them because next week is such a prestige game.

“With sponsors and people like there, it could have a great knock-on effect for the club. You don’t know what might happen.

“We’ll need the strongest side and the strongest bench we’ve got.”