Darius Charles and Mathais Doumbe are unlikely to be on any TV executives’ Christmas card lists this year. In the previous round of the FA Cup, Stevenage defender Charles bundled home a 95th minute equaliser against the MK Dons in their replay, and then Dons defender Doumbe missed his spot kick to deny the game the media craven and AFC Wimbledon fans feared as Stevenage took their spot in round two.
Boro’s night of drama was just one of several high-excitement FA Cup replays and if the second round is half as exciting, there’ll still be plenty of immodium going round as managers move into squeaky bum time. While the potential for upsets decreases with every round, every club knows that a win this weekend would put them in with a chance of meeting one of the big Premier League clubs, which makes several of these ties very tasty indeed.
Stevenage’s visit to Kingsmeadow is perhaps the obvious place to start this preview, and seeing Graham Westley’s side take on AFC Wimbledon may just be the best outcome for all concerned. There’ll be no unpleasantness - unless Stevenage are in the mood to carry on their mass brawl against Accrington from the weekend - and expect this to be a tight game, as both these sides know each other well from Boro’s Conference days.
With home advantage, a Dons upset isn’t beyond the realms of possibility, and if Sammy Moore fires them into a game against Arsenal or Manchester United, he’ll never need to buy another pint in SW19 again. But Westley has shown that Stevenage are at their most dangerous when the opposition underestimates them.
Of course, if you’re heading out in search of the best chance of an upset, you could do worse than head to Droylsden against Leyton Orient on Monday night. Bloods manager Dave Pace is a man for whom the tag ‘outspoken’ was made for, but this shouldn’t detract from the fact he has a talented, if erratic, squad who aren’t short of firepower up front. Pace will have his players fired up for this game against an Orient team struggling for form in League One and with an abysmal record on the road.
Another winner of a dramatic, extended replay in round one were League One leaders Brighton & Hove Albion, who needed penalties to get past Blue Square South Woking. Their reward is a home tie against FC United of Manchester of the Evo-Stick Premier. Although Guy Poyet has told his players to concentrate on the league following their recent wobble, it would still be a source of major embarrassment to the Seagulls if the non-leaguers dumped them out of the cup. And with a very vocal set of supporters, not to mention plenty of heart, FCUM will be no pushovers.
Crawley Town manager Steve Evans has, predictably, called his side’s match against Swindon Town the tie of the round. But while the outspoken Scot is being a tad hyperbolic, the Red Devils certainly have a great chance to cause an upset. Crawley are the moneybags of non-league and sit second in the Conference after splashing out several six figure sums on players. It may not have made them popular but they’re capable of getting results and Swindon will need to be on the top of their game if they’re to serve up a slice of humble pie to Evans.
Speaking of Swindon, the town’s second side, Swindon Supermarine, travel to Colchester United as the lowest ranked team left in the competition. The Zamaretto Premier side have done fantastically well to reach this stage, having seen off Bath City and Eastwood Town in previous rounds and, win, lose or draw, the cash banked from this cup run should be enough to solve Marine’s financial difficulties. It’s hard to see the non-league side getting much change out of a decent Colchester team, but stranger things have happened in the cup.
Charlton Athletic against Luton Town has been a top flight fixture many moons ago, but the Hatters travel to the Valley as non-league underdogs. Charlton are one of the form teams in League One, unbeaten in eight games in all competitions and now in the automatic promotion places, but the Cup has not been the happiest hunting ground for them recently, and Phil Parkinson’s men struggled past Barnet in a replay. Luton may not be a league club any more but they still have quality packed throughout their team and are certainly not a side to be intimidated by reputation.
Dover Athletic’s reward for knocking out local rivals Gillingham in the last round is a home tie against Aldershot. The shots have blown hot and cold this season, although on their day are a strong side who can take the game to any team. Dover, with home advantage, will fancy their chances, especially if striker Adam Birchall is one form. Don’t be surprised to see this one head for a replay.
Tamworth did great job to knock out Crewe in the previous round and caretaker Des Lyttle has impressed after taking over from Gary Mills. The Lambs are at their best when playing as underdogs, as Luton and Cambridge can attest to, although they have a trek to a strong Carlisle United team with aspirations of the League One playoffs. Any result here for the Midlands side would be impressive.
Finally, one of non-league’s sleeping giants, Chelmsford City, head to Wycombe Wanderers in search of an upset. The two teams met in the FA Cup first round in 1994, with Wycombe running out 4-0 winners. The Clarets have had a decent draw up to now, although Wycombe can be indifferent on their day, as Torquay showed last weekend. With both sides in the playoffs in their respective divisions, this should be a proper cup tie.
Six Picks returns next week
Tags: AFC Wimbledon, Aldershot Town, Brighton and Hove Albion, Carlisle United, Charlton Althetic, Chelmsford City, Colchester United, Crawley Town, Dover Athletic, Droylsden, FA Cup, FC United of Manchester, Leyton Orient, Luton Town, Stevenage, Swindon Supermarine, Swindon Town, Tamworth, Wycombe Wanderers