Published: 16-10-17

16-10-17 - Harriers get 'that' team in the FA Cup

Zaine Francis-Angol
Zaine Francis-Angol

In one of those ironic quirks of something or other – it’s definitely not nature – the Harriers were drawn against their arch rivals from last season in the draw for the 1st round of the FA Cup. Out came AFC Fylde and you just knew what was coming next. Yes us! Also ironically we had been given consecutive numbered balls with Fylde ball number 59 and the Harriers number 60. 

We had gone neck and neck all last season with Fylde winning out in the end due to our incapability of beating the easier  teams in the league and also throwing three points away on a miserable, murky day at Mill Farm in March, after leading 2-0, when Keith Lowe made a glaring, un-forgiveable error trying to pass back to the keeper through a pool of water. Twenty minutes into extra time and Fylde had drawn level through a hotly disputed goal and with it came the writing on the wall that we would have to go up through the play-offs.

We all know what happened in those with Chorley FC embarrassing us at Aggborough in May to leave us floundering in National North. Now we have a chance to right those wrongs and this time we cannot give it away. 

Fylde are struggling to adjust to life at a higher level even though they have half the Harriers squad playing for them. Jordan Tunnicliffe, Zaine Francis-Angol and, to a lesser extent, Josh Ezewele all jumped ship to play for them during the close season but at the moment they’re hanging in there on the edges of the relegation places and the manager is bringing in new players whenever he can to block up the defensive holes.

Following our emphatic win at home to Chester FC on Saturday a trip to another struggling team should hold no fear for us although they did beat inform Wrexham AFC in their cup game on Saturday. It’s not the draw that we wanted but by God we’ll make the most of it.

We have un-finished business with AFC Fylde.

The game will be played at Mill Farm, Fylde on, or around, November 4th.

The full draw:

Stevenage v Nantwich Town/Kettering Town

Bradford City v Chesterfield

Port Vale v Oxford United

Newport County v Walsall

Morecambe v Hartlepool United

Yeovil Town v Southend United

Peterborough United v Tranmere Rovers

Cambridge United v Sutton United

Forest Green Rovers v Macclesfield Town

AFC Fylde v Kidderminster Harriers

Luton Town v Portsmouth

Shrewsbury Town v Aldershot Town

Hereford v AFC Telford United

Guiseley v Accrington Stanley

Blackburn Rovers v Barnet

East Thurrock United/Ebbsfleet United v Doncaster Rovers

Leatherhead v Brackley Town/Billericay Town

Boreham Wood v Blackpool

Shaw Lane v Mansfield Town

Colchester United v Oxford City

Plymouth Argyle v Grimsby Town

AFC Wimbledon v Lincoln City

Rochdale v Dover Athletic/Bromley

Coventry City v Maidenhead United

Chorley/Boston United v Fleetwood Town

Carlisle United v Oldham Athletic

Notts County v Bristol Rovers

Dartford v Swindon Town

Cheltenham Town v Maidstone United/Enfield Town

Woking/Concord Rangers v Bury

Crewe Alexandra v Rotherham United

Gillingham v Dagenham & Redbridge/Leyton Orient

Hyde United v Milton Keynes Dons

Gainsborough Trinity v Slough Town

Solihull/Ossett Town v Wycombe Wanderers

Northampton Town v Scunthorpe United

Charlton Athletic v Truro City

Wigan Athletic v Crawley Town

Gateshead v Bath City/Chelmsford City

Exeter City v Heybridge Swifts

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