The FA Cup's lowest-ranked survivors were yesterday offered the prize of a local derby in the fourth round if they can emerge unscathed from their third-round replay. The prospect of an upset in Conference North Nuneaton Borough's reconvened fixture at Middlesbrough is slim but now the draw has given them an added incentive - a seven-mile trip to take on Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena.
"A few of us sneak off to the Ricoh whenever we can," said Gez Murphy, the scorer of the equalising penalty that earned a 1-1 draw last Saturday. "It'd give it extra spice because there's a few players here who were let go by Coventry before they came."
If Burton Albion of the Nationwide Conference can win their replay against Manchester United at Old Trafford they will be rewarded with a match at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Championship club situated less than 33 miles away. However, their defender Darren Tinson is not allowing himself to consider the extension of an FA Cup run that is expected to earn his club £800,000.
"If we were a bit worried before yesterday's game, the match at Old Trafford will be even more scary," he said. "To play in front of a crowd like that will be just fantastic. I am sure there will be a few butterflies but we will enjoy it nonetheless."
Leyton Orient's 3-2 win against Fulham, a team 58 league places their senior, should give them heart when they face further Premiership opposition and another London derby. That will be against Charlton, who came through a potential upset with a 4-2 win at Sheffield Wednesday.
The Cup holders Arsenal face a tricky trip to Bolton, a place where they have not won in the league since 2002 and have suffered two successive Premiership defeats. But the Gunners may take some heart from memories of last season's quarter-final which they won 1-0 after El Hadji Diouf was sent off after eight minutes.
The Premiership champions Chelsea must travel to Everton or Millwall, depending on the replay at Goodison Park. There is also potential for an all-Premiership tie should Wigan defeat Leeds at Elland Road, with the winners travelling to Manchester City.
At least two more Premiership sides will not progress to the fifth round, with West Ham hosting Blackburn and Liverpool facing Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Other ties to be played on the weekend of January 28th and 29th include all-Championship fixtures involving Leicester and Southampton and Preston and Crystal Palace.
Guardian Service
Third round replays
Tuesday, January 17th (7:45pm unless stated): Leeds Utd v Wigan Ath; Reading v West Brom (8.0pm); Birmingham City v Torquay; Tamworth v Stoke City; Chester v Cheltenham; Middlesbrough v Nuneaton; Walsall v Barnsley.
Wednesday, January 18th: Everton v Millwall (8.0pm); Manchester Utd v Burton Albion (8.05, live on BBC 1)
