Braintree Town chairman Lee Harding is hoping that some "unfinished business" gets settled when his club face Eastbourne Borough in the first round proper of this year's FA Cup.

The first round draw handed the Iron a home tie against an Eastbourne side sitting 13th in the Vanarama National League South and while Harding was pleased to have it on home turf, he was looking forward to avenging a defeat eight years ago.

Harding said: "It's a very good tie for us as we feel we have unfinished business with our friends from the south coast.

"In the 2007/8 season, we needed to beat them in the final game to get into the end-of-season Conference South play-offs, which we did and funnily enough, we then faced them at home and away in the play-off semi-finals.

"We did tremendously well to get into the play-offs, but were then decimated by injury and they beat us over the two legs.

"It's my understanding that that was the last time we played them so this FA Cup encounter will be a chance for us to avenge that.

"They subsequently went up into what is now the National League and when we went up to that level, they were relegated so we haven't faced them since.

"But we know all about them and they are a very well-run club who have already knocked out a National League side (Aldershot Town).

"Yes we are the higher-placed side now, but at the end of the day all you can ask for is a home draw in the FA Cup and it doesn't matter about status as it will be a cup final for both sides.

"However, there is the extra spice of them knocking us out of the play-offs eight years ago so we're very much looking forward to it."