Salford City are hoping to continue their remarkable FA Cup run when they take on Hartlepool United at Moor Lane on Friday, kick-off 7.55pm.
The Ammies have already smashed their best ever performance in the cup competition by going three rounds better than their 2010 run when they lost to Northern Premier League side Blyth Spartans.
However, with the prospect of meeting Championship and Premier League teams in the Third Round co-managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley will be hoping to put behind their disappointing performance against Grantham Town last Saturday.
Speaking after the 2-0 loss Johnson stated: “We don’t want to change too much from what we (Salford City) did. We got a great win and a great performance, had we got something (against Grantham) today it would have been a perfect build up because we would have been unbeaten since beating Notts County, but one defeat is not going to change anything”.
Owners the Class of 92 may be down a couple of players after Gary Neville’s shock appointment as Valencia coach – the club owned by his Salford City co-owner, Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim.
It’s expected the Sky Sports pundit and former England full-back will be in Spain for his new side’s La Liga match with Barcelona on Saturday.
Paul Scholes however is expected to be in the stands. He told the Daily Mail yesterday: “You don’t really get nervous, that feeling in the stomach; though, I suppose we had it a little bit for the Notts County game in those last 15 minutes, when you’re trying to hang on.
As shown in the BBC documentary Out of Their League he watched almost every Salford match as they pulled themselves out of the Evo-Stik First Division North
“I enjoy going to watch. It’s real football again: lads giving everything while you’re stood at the side of the pitch having a pie,” he said.
“And wherever I go now, people at school, parents in the yard, people in shops, they’re always asking about Salford City, which is great.”
In the run to up to game the historic side of Salford’s home ground has been revealed with this 1939 film from the North West Film Archive showing fire crews on an exercise at Moor Lane.
In contrast to the Kersal side The Pools have only won two of their previous seven games since beating Cheltenham Town in the first round. However, manager Ronnie Moore will take solace in the fact that both their wins came away from Victoria Park.
The former Tranmere boss is not concerned about the County Durham outfit’s form and is hoping to spoil the party at Moor Lane tomorrow.
Speaking to BBC Radio Durham Moore said: “It wouldn’t matter if we won 11, it’s about what you do on the night and we have to make sure we don’t become another Notts County. Everyone in the country wants us to lose and we’ve seen what they can do.”
The Ammies have been dealt a blow as last season’s top scorer Gareth Seddon and full back Dominic Smalley have both been ruled out with injuries.
Seddon has not featured for Salford since September, and it doesn’t look like the 35-year old will return any time soon.
However, the young managerial partnership will be hoping that James Poole will be able to replicate his cup form against his former club.
Richie Allen also looks set to start after his superb performance against Notts County in the previous round.
On the opposite side of the country, Moore will have to do without captain Billy Paynter, who is sidelined until February with an achilles injury, although Carl Magnay looks set to start after suffering from blurred vision against Yeovil last Thursday.
Both teams also have cup-tied players with Salford loanee Tom Peers ruled out after playing for Chester City earlier on in the competition, and Pools winger Kal Naismith will not feature having played for Portsmouth in the first found.
Salford City have again sold out their ticket allocation well in advance, with a standing-room only 1,400 crowd expected.
Betway has them 14-1 to be the last non-league side standing in the iconic competition: if Salford progress further calls will only increase to have them improve on that capacity.
SalfordOnline.com will be providing live match commentary and all the reaction, and you can see the match on BBC Two from 7.30pm.
Main image: Charlotte Tattersall
