JODY Brown is looking to plot the downfall of Concord Rangers in the Essex Senior Cup tonight…less than seven months after leading the Beach Boys in pre-season training.

The former Beach Boys first-team coach was appointed Heybridge Swifts manager at the start of October after leaving Concord two weeks prior to that in a bid to return to management.

Brown will lead out his side at Dagenham & Redbridge’s Victoria Road stadium in a bid to upset the odds and lead the Ryman One North minnows to glory against the National League South side and two-times defending champions.

And he is excited at the prospect of a re-union with his old club and says the distraction of the competition has helped his side as they battle to remain in the fourth tier of non-league football.

“Concord are the perennial underdogs but there is no doubt that we are the underdogs for this game,” said Brown, who has another former Concord favourite - former goalkeeping coach Danny Clare – alongside him in the dugout. “They are fighting for the play-offs in the National League South and we are battling for our lives in the Ryman One North.

“This competition has been an escape for us and it has been a massive help in our bid to stay up. I have been really pleased with the way the players have performed as the squad is so young and inexperienced.

“But we have played with freedom in this competition and that has helped us get this far and long may that continue.”

Brown will now attempt to use his knowledge of Concord to get the better of the side that is currently 57 league places higher than them in the football pyramid.

And he was full of praise for the way Beach Boys boss Adam Flanagan has turned around their season.

“I have knowledge of Concord Rangers and it is my job to try and identify areas of weakness that we can exploit,” he said. “There is a huge gulf in difference and we have four key players cup-tied but this has been the case throughout the competition. We are as ready as we can be and there is no reason to think we can’t cause an upset as this is football.”

Follow tonight’s match online at echo-news.co.uk/sport.