BILLERICAY Town women’s team are firmly putting themselves on the football map, according to boss Scott Chickelday.

The National League Division One South East high-flyers host second tier Coventry United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

And Chickelday feels the clash is further proof Billericay are moving in the right direction.

“People are taking us seriously,” said Chickelday.

“We’re very ambitious as a club and we have a very ambitious owner too.

“He’s come out and stated he wants to take the club as far as he can and that starts with tier three and then trying to get into the Championship.

“He’s prepared to back that but it takes a lot of hard work to get there.

"But the way we’ve been playing this season we’re moving in the right direction and we’re heading towards the owner’s ambition.”

The FA Cup run already equals the furthest the club have ever got in the competition.

But Chickelday is still hungry for more.

“Coventry are a very good team and it will be a tough game but it’s one we believe we can win,” said Chickelday.

“It’s a game of football at the end of the day and we always believe in ourselves.”

But Chickelday will not allow the cup run to become a distraction and promotion remains the number one aim.

“We’ve had a busy January with league games and we’ve just played three times in the space of eight days,” said Chickelday.

“We’d not really thought about this game until Tuesday.

“We’re so focused on trying to win the league and get into tier three that we’d put the cup to the back of our minds for a while.

“But it was nice to come into training and do some analysis work on Coventry.

“That’s when it sunk in we’re playing against a Championship a club on Sunday and we can’t wait to be honest.”

At one point the tie had been in doubt but Coventry battled back from the brink of extinction.

And Chickelday is pleased to Sunday’s opponents have survived an incredibly uncertain period.

“It's good they’re back and that the club didn’t end up folding because there’s a squad of ladies there who are full-time players,” said Chickelday.

“It’s not just a club folding but that would’ve been them unemployed as well which would’ve been horrible.”

However, Coventry are now back in business and Chickelday is hoping a bumper crowd will be watching them this weekend.

"A lot of our younger age groups will be coming over, the boys teams and our friends and families," said Chickelday.

"Hopefully we can get a few through the door and they can be that 12th man."

Sunday's match kicks off at 2pm.