A fantastic cup weekend!

We’ve got FA Cup football on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and some of it is on the telly!

One match which isn’t on tv, and which is being played on Friday night for reasons that most of us fail to fully understand, will be coming from Oakwell, home of Barnsley. We’ll be hitting the road and bringing you a report shortly after the final whistle, as we travel up with those Horsham supporters who have been able to take time off from work or school to make the trip- far fewer than there would have been had the game been on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, we suspect.

For all the Hornets disappointment about scheduling, we’re sure that they’ll be entirely focused on the match, and that the Lardy Army in the stands will be singing themselves hoarse in support of their side. Horsham are in fine form- only one defeat from their last fourteen matches across League, Cups and Trophy- and, of course, after outplaying National League Dorking Wanderers in the last round won’t be short on confidence. Their hosts will pose a tough challenge- they currently sit in fifth place in League One and are on a five match unbeaten run- but it might boost the visitors to know that they’ve had difficulties at home this season. Every time the Tykes have lost- and they’ve lost five times in all competitions- that defeat has come on their own patch. Indeed, if the league table was calculated on home form alone, they’d be sixteenth.

Pitching In Isthmian South East side Sheppey United will be appearing in front of a capacity crowd at Holm Park on Friday- and in front of the watching millions on ITV4. The Ites welcome League Two side Walsall, who are on rather an inconsistent run, with only one win from their last seven, and will be under pressure to put that right in order to avoid being the victims of a giantkilling. Sheppey have already slain two ‘giants’ in Merthyr Town and Billericay Town to reach this stage, and won’t be too dismayed by the fact that this giant is a little bigger!

Saturday sees a sold out WW Martin Community Stadium play host to Ramsgate and National League Woking. The Rams are very much focused on League and FA Cup this season, having rested players in other Cup competitions to ensure they have their strongest side available, and having already knocked two higher level sides out of the competition will very much hope to play the Cards right. With Joe Taylor scoring goals as if he’s afraid they might introduce rationing- eighteen already this season- they’ll feel they can puncture any defence. Woking are having something of an inconsistent season, lost at Bromley last time out, and have won only three of their last ten League and Cup fixtures.

Sunday brings us a local derby, as Cray Valley Paper Mills make a four mile trek- they could almost walk, couldn’t they- to the Valley to take on Charlton Athletic. The magnificent Millers have already played nineteen matches this season, and only one side has defeated them? Stand up and take a bow Punjab United- although it must be said that the Millers side for that Kent Cup match had a rather small number of regular first teamers in it!

The Millers have already defeated three sides from a higher level in Cup competitions, and in Kyrell Lisbie have a forward in fine goalscoring form, with thirteen already. There will be a lot of attention on Kyrell on Sunday, particularly with his dad being Charlton- and Millers- legend Kevin.

The hosts are currently in eleventh place in League One, and after two defeats got back to winning ways at Wigan on Tuesday night. Here’s hoping they ate hosts of Wigan kebabs (a meat pie inside a bread roll) on the way home!

The match kicks off at 5.30 PM, and if you’re not heading to The Valley will be shown live on BBC2.

The very best of luck to each of our sides. Whatever the outcomes, we’re proud of you!

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