DANNY Smith doesn’t need much prompting to reveal the highlight of his six years as a Chasetown player.

Not when it’s one of those memory-inspiring FA Cup moments of magic that is repeated year on year in every tale of giant-killers.

His diving header to clinch a tremendous upset victory against Port Vale made December 11, 2007, one of the most amazing nights in Chasetown history. It was their first ever League scalp and set up an appearance in the cup third round proper for the lowest ever ranked team.

“That was the best moment in my footballing career,” said Smith.

But record-breaking and Charlie Blakemore’s Chasetown have gone together like Roman Abramovich and spending sprees, or Newcastle United fans and seething fury at Mike Ashley, in the last few years. And today history beckons once more.

Smith and his Scholars team-mates have the chance to reach the FA Trophy quarter-finals for the first time in their history when they visit Sussex side Eastleigh.

It would put the Scholars – who have already claimed the scalps of Workington, Kettering Town and Grimsby Town – firmly in the spotlight again, though Smith admits it could never be as intense as the interest in those FA Cup ties.

“I was at Chasetown when we played Oldham in the first round in 2005 and I had actually scored my first goal for the club in the second qualifying round when we won at Gedling Town,” said the Hednesford-based front-runner.

“I was on the bench for the two games against Oldham but I didn’t get on and when we played against Port Vale I was on the bench again and I thought I was going to miss out.

“But I came on for the last ten or 15 minutes when Dean Perrow got injured and when I got the winner I was buzzing.

“Stan Collymore, who was working for radio, was the first person to grab me for an interview at the final whistle. I’m a Liverpool fan and that was just amazing.

“For the next few days, it was surreal. There were TV crews at my work.

“Can I describe the goal? I’ve seen it enough times on DVD!

“Kyle Perry got the ball wide and went down the wing and I made a run from the centre circle to the near post. It was a great cross and I managed to get my head onto it for a diving header. It was probably one of my better goals.”

That header, that result, that cup run arguably proved to be the biggest catalyst for Chasetown’s rise and rise.

“The cup has probably been the springboard to what we have achieved since then,” said Smith, who works as school sports development manager for South Staffordshire council.

“It gave the club the money to build a new stand, which is going through now. And it made everybody take notice of Chasetown.