The two NPL NSW clubs have been draw to do battle in the round of 32 at the White Eagles’ Bonnyrigg Sports Ground. They have already play each other twice in the NPL this season, with Bonnyrigg grabbing a 2-1 win and the spoils being shared 3-3.

“Bonnyrigg’s a really tough game because they’re a team that’s got scoring weapons in a lot of attacking areas,” Dees told FourFourTwo.

“In the season proper it’s a tough game, at their home ground they’ve got parochial fans, they’re well organized.

"It’ll be a big challenge, no question. We’re yet to beat them this year, but there’s a level of confidence in the squad that we can do it if we play to our best.”

Manly sit in third place in the NPL NSW, 12 points behind league leaders Sydney United but they have lost just three of their 20 games. The White Eagles are in sixth place, 13 points below the northern beaches club.

Dees admits he was hoping to draw an A-League side in the Cup.

“It wasn’t exactly the draw what we hoped for, but that’s out of our hands,” he said.

“We hope to progress. Everybody dreams for an A-League club. But outside of that, we also hoped we’d meet a team we don’t meet every other week in the competition.

“But that’s the way it goes. You’ve just got to aim up and hope you progress.”

Dees has been pleased with Manly’s season to date and the progress his side has made.

“It’s been good in a number of ways in that we’ve established, in the last couple of years, a particular playing style,” he said.

“It’s clear the squad’s got belief in it and they try and execute it all the time. We’ve got a pretty good for and against record and we’re accumulating points at the right rate.

“We embrace the philosophy of the FFA. We play a total brand of football, we try and play out from the back and try and keep the ball. We try and play high-tempo football.”

Manly have a number of notable players in their squad including former Central Coast playmaker Dejan Pandurevic, ex-Newcastle and Victory defender Sam Gallagher, former Manchester United youth player Luke Giverin and ex-Jets striker Travis Cooper.

Last month the club also signed experienced centre back Shane Cansdell-Sherriff.

“The beauty of our team this year is we have a number of highly talented young players who can hurt teams,” Dees said.

“Dejan’s an exceptional young talent. He’s only 19 years old. His ambition lies in getting into the A-League or going overseas. We’ve signed Richie Cardozo, he’s a potent goal-scorer.”

Manly were knocked out of the round of 32 two years ago, the furthest they have reached in the FFA Cup. Dees wants to go deeper in the competition, which is one he strongly supports.

“The interest and the intrigue that it causes in the public is one really good sign,” he said.

“Every player is especially interested in who we draw and so on. They all want to play in the FFA Cup. So it’s an incredible initiative and we hope it survives and thrives.”