Next Up: Didcot Town vs Exeter City

For the second successive season, City have been drawn away to the lowest placed (8th tier) club in the FA Cup first round. For the second successive season, the match has been selected for TV coverage. What City will be hoping does not happen for the second successive season is for the viewing public to be given the huge upset the TV companies so clearly want. As soon as the balls were pulled out drawing City with Didcot the memories of Warrington Town came flooding back and a Friday night where the minnows struck early then clung on for dear life to a famous 1-0 win, and Paul Tisdale and the City players will not need any reminding of that night as they take the field at the quaintly named Loop Meadow on Sunday lunchtime.

With City’s treatment room continuing to resemble Clapham Junction on a Friday afternoon, Tisdale’s side in the defeat at Barnet last Saturday had something of a makeshift feel to it, with Jordan Moore-Taylor missing out meaning Christian Ribeiro moved into the middle and Tom McCready played at right back. Tisdale will be hoping to have Moore-Taylor back or will move Jordan Tillson back into the line-up allowing Ribeiro to take his more familiar position on the right. With Noble and Harley now back in midfield the trio may be completed by one of McCready, Oyeleke or Davies, while City will hope to have Lee Holmes back at least in the 18 if not in the starting line up. Given what happened last season, there is unlikely to be any temptation to throw in some of the more untried youngsters like Ollie Watkins or Matt Jay at least from the start.

Didcot were supposed to be playing against Tiverton Town in a Southern League Division One (South & West) fixture this weekend, but instead face one of the biggest days in their history against a side a few miles to the south. Their run to the first round began in late August with an amazing comeback from 0-3 down to beat Wantage Town 4-3 in the preliminary round, before wins over VCD Athletic, Northwood, Eastbourne Town and Brentwood Town.

Managed jointly by Ian Concannon and Jamie Heapy, there is a surprising City connection in their coaching staff in the shape of Gary Elkins, who had a short loan spell with City during the glorious 1989/90 season. With their mind on the FA Cup one could possibly forgive their form elsewhere as they haven’t recorded a league victory since late September, while they made headlines a few weeks ago thanks to a Tweet from the club during a Buckinghamshire Cup match against MK Dons late on stating that if the scores were level after 90 minutes the match would go straight to penalties – they were 14-0 down at the time! Their top scorer this season is Mark Janes with seven goals, although the winger hasn’t featured since mid-October.

It may not come as much of a surprise, but Sunday’s fixture represents the first time the sides have met in a competitive fixture.

Match officials: http://www.exeweb.com/2015/11/03/match-officials-didcot-town-vs-exeter/

Additional Train from Exeter to Didcot: http://www.exeweb.com/2015/11/03/great-western-to-help-exeter-fans-get-to-didcot/