BEN SMITH says he’d rather get splinters than pick a winner in Saturday’s FA Cup first-round clash between Hereford United and Yeovil Town at Edgar Street.

The 32-year-old midfielder is going to sit on the fence because his two biggest pals in football are Hereford boss Jamie Pitman and Yeovil chief Terry Skiverton.

He has jokingly labelled the first-round tie ‘a battle between the Albino Mourinho and the Ginger Mourinho’.

Smith , who is now at Crawley, had hugely successful spells at both Hereford and Yeovil.

“Two of my best mates in football are Terry Skiverton and Jamie Pitman,” said Smith this afternoon.

“ I played with Skiv’s for three-and-a-half years and I shared a house with him for a year. I played a lot of football with Jamie. It’s a shame I can’t say a draw but I will have to sit on the fence.

“I think Hereford will go for it in the first game because they will see that as their best chance of winning. I have a feeling that it might be a draw on Saturday and Yeovil will win the replay.”

Smith and his Crawley team-mates reached the fifth round of the FA Cup last year and played against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

“For the lower league teams, there’s money to be made in the FA Cup. Just look what we did at Crawley last year – we played at Manchester United.

“I am calling Saturday’s game at Edgar Street a battle between the Albino Mourinho and the Ginger Mourinho. Terry is under a lot pressure at Yeovil and will want a good cup run so he can add to his squad in January. He’s got a few injuries down there – Gavin Williams would be superb at League 1 level and I am told that Andy Williams was doing really well before he got injured.”

Smith, who has just had loan spell at Kettering and is fighting his way back to fitness, always keeps up to speed with developments at Hereford.

He didn’t travel with Crawley for last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Hereford.

“Results have certainly picked up for Hereford and they’re getting a few points. There’s no doubt that Gary Peters can get a team organised and Hereford have picked up.

“From the Crawley perspective, the lads thought they should have won the game at Hereford last weekend. I didn’t see the game but, speaking to the players, they felt they dominated the second half.”

Smith, who turns 33 in a few weeks’ time, is heavily involved in coaching as he looks to the future.

“You can’t very well knock on the manager’s door when the side is doing so well and say that you should be in the team. I am always hoping but I am an optimistic realist.”

Crawley travel to Bury in Saturday’s FA Cup first-round draw.

“It’s a tough game and away from home is always difficult. Last year we beat teams from the Conference and the Championship during our cup run. “We have got a few injuries and we will need a few extra subs for the FA Cup. I could be in the squad – I will find out tomorrow - or I could be going back out on loan. Things happen quickly in football. Whatever happens in the future, I have had two-and-a-half good years at Crawley.”

For a comprehensive preview of Hereford's cup tie with Yeovil, read tomorrow's Hereford Times.

And remember you can read on-the-whistle half-time and full-time match reports from Saturday's big game by logging on to herefordtimes.com