Revenge is sweet for bristling Beard

Kingstonian's Mark Beard is relishing the chance to shine against League opposition again after a traumatic two years.

The 26-year-old former Millwall defender has resurrected his career after being released by Southend last season and gained revenge by helping Kingstonian beat the Roots Hall side to set up tomorrow's tie at Bristol City.

Beard, who was Southend's Player of the Year in 1999, said: "The manager Alan Little said we would talk about a contract. I didn't hear anything then one day I got a letter in the post saying he wasn't taking me on. He didn't even tell me face to face."

Revenge was sweet for Beard. "Beating Southend was brilliant," he said. "Afterwards I went mad, and I was kicking their dressing-room door. It was so much happiness and anger all in one."

Beard is no stranger to FA Cup upsets, having scored the first goal in Millwall's 2-0 win at Arsenal in a third-round replay in 1995.

He was helped back into football by Kingstonian coach Ian MacDonald, who he knows from his time at Millwall, and is confident the Cup run can go on. "We can definitely cause another upset," he said.

Manager Geoff Chapple added: "If you'd told us at the start of the season we'd be in the fourth round of the FA Cup we'd have fallen about laughing, but here we are."