County to host Rovers in FA Cup
NEWPORT County last night were looking ahead to the nearest thing to a really tasty FA Cup 3rd round draw for our Welsh clubs last night after bagging a home tie against one-time Premier League champions Blackburn Rovers.
The Lancashire outfit, complete with recently appointed boss Paul Lambert, should bring enough travelling support to bring a real big match feel to Rodney Parade when the tie is played sometime between the 8th and 11th of January.
Meanwhile elsewhere, troubled Swansea City face a trip to the ‘dreaming spires’ for a clash with Oxford United.
The ‘U’s non-executive director and Sky Sports presenter David Jones was last night thrilled by the draw and tweeted: “Looking forward to welcoming our friends from Swansea City in January. Potential banana skin!”
As for Cardiff City, the draw was made in the Welsh capital last night but the balls did not fall too kindly for the Bluebirds, with a home tie against either Grimsby Town, one of manager Russell Slade’s old clubs, or Shrewsbury Town. The two clubs were playing their second round last night, but it ended in a goalless stalemate.
Elsewhere, part-timers Whitehawk have been handed a possible trip to Everton in the draw for the third round of the FA Cup.
The sixth-tier side, who are on their best run in the competition in their history, will make the trip to Goodison Park if they get through their second-round replay against Sky Bet League Two Dagenham & Redbridge at home.
The draw also sees Jurgen Klopp’s first FA Cup tie as Liverpool boss take him to League Two Exeter.
Holders Arsenal, looking to win the trophy for a third successive year, will face Sunderland at home.
The two sides met in the Barclays Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, with the Gunners recording a 3-1 victory. Whitehawk were one of four non-league teams to feature in the draw.
The lowest-ranked among them, Salford City, will host Championship high-fliers Derby if the seventh-tier outfit get past Hartlepool in their second-round replay.