RICHARD Hill says the FA Cup is more significant for Eastleigh this season than last.

While 2013/14 was all about securing promotion from the Conference South, the Spitfires are acutely aware that now is the time to seize their moment in the spotlight as they establish themselves in non-League’s elite.

Crowds at the Silverlake Stadium are now averaging just short 1,600 in the Vanarama Conference – a massive increase on about 600 last year.

“All of a sudden we’ve found 1,000 new supporters and it’s all the bits and pieces outside football that make the FA Cup more significant to us this year than last,” said manager Hill.

“We want to capitalise on our newfound fan base as well as giving our old supporters something they’ve not had before.

“A cup run is good from the point of view of bringing in finance which will help ease the burden of running a Conference Premier club.”

Last season Eastleigh were dumped out of the competition 3-2 at home by Oxford City at the third qualifying round stage. It was a rare blot on an otherwise brilliant season for Hill’s men.

Their elevation to non-League’s top flight takes them straight through to the fourth qualifying round this time and Monday’s draw dealt them a potentially tricky task away to league rivals Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.

It wasn’t the dream tie they might have hoped for, but Hill shrugged: “It is what it is. Everyone wants a home draw, preferably against lower league opposition, but 50 cent of us are going to be disappointed.

“No one can choose who comes out of the hat or whether it’s home or away and we’ll be going to Kidderminster as underdogs.

“The pressure, if there is any, is all on them. Kidderminster are an established Conference Premier club and an ex-Football League club as well.”

Kidderminster are managed by Gary Whild, who was right-hand man to former boss Steve Burr. He took a lesser role when Andy Thorn arrived in January, but agreed a 12-month rolling contract as team boss when Thorn was sacked after just two months at the Aggborough helm.

Whild was happy with the draw, saying: “Most clubs will have been listening to the draw and wanting a home tie and it’s pleasing for us that we’ve got that.

“In terms of the league the opposition are in, there are advantages to being drawn against another Conference side.

“We could have been put against a team who are doing well lower down the pyramid – obviously you won’t know too much about them and it’s difficult to find out a lot too.

“Also, as much as you try and guard against it, you’re always at risk of being on the end of an upset against a lower side – that’s what the FA Cup is all about at this stage.

“With Eastleigh being a newly-promoted club, we haven’t come across them before, so it’ll be interesting.

“They’ve started the season well, they’ve got heavy investment from the chairman and they’re an ambitious club.”

FA Cup fourth qualifying round, local ties (Saturday, October 25): Aldershot Town v Torquay Utd, Basingstoke Town v Harrow Borough, Canvey Island v Havant & Waterlooville, Dorchester Town v Bristol Rovers, Kidderminster Harriers v Eastleigh, Weymouth v Braintree Town, Willand Rovers v Gosport Borough.