Shrimps and Lancaster eye upsets

By Pete Oliver

Lancaster shock Scarborough in fourth qualifying round

Separated by just a couple of miles either side of the river Lune, Morecambe and Lancaster City go their separate ways on Saturday in pursuit of FA Cup glory.

Both Lancashire clubs have been drawn away to League One opposition in the first round proper of the competition.

And while Lancaster play at a level one league lower than their near neighbours, it is the Conference North side that may have the better chance of an upset.

While Morecambe face a daunting trip to high-flying, big-spending Hull City, Lancaster go to Milton Keynes Dons - Cup winners in their former incarnation as Wimbledon, but now stuck near the bottom of the table.

"As a club they have won the FA Cup, you can't take that away from them but now they are a new club trying to find an identity," Lancaster boss Phil Wilson said.

That identity may take some forging with a move to Milton Keynes yet to halt the decline of one of the Cup's greatest giant-killers.

If there is going to be a shock, it might be us Phil Wilson

Stuart Murdoch, a former Lancaster goalkeeper, has just lost his job as manager of the Dons, who have won just three league games this season.

And Wilson's side, who proved their resilience by winning a replay at Scarborough in the last round, are not likely to be intimidated by a modest crowd at the National Hockey Stadium.

Two seasons ago Wilson knocked out Notts County when in charge of Southport, and the Dolly Blues boss - whose main goal this season is a play-off spot - senses another possible scalp.

He told BBC Sport: "It will be a difficult game, but one where we can possibly get a result.

"They are not doing great in the league and have just sacked their manager, so if there is going to be a shock it might be us on Saturday.

"Having had them watched and from speaking to people, it seems they are not playing as badly as their results show.

"But we feel we have an outside chance of getting a result there and will go there thinking that.

"And if we were fortunate enough to do it, it would be a bit more money for the club."

FA Cup first round draw

The winning teams this weekend will pocket £16,000 each, while Morecambe also stand to enjoy a healthy slice of Hull's bumper gate receipts.

The Tigers, chasing a second successive promotion, are sure to have another five-figure gate at the KC Stadium and Morecambe boss Jimmy Harvey wants his players to enjoy the day.

"On paper it's one of the toughest draws we could have had. Hull are very strong," said Harvey, whose side beat Hucknall 5-1 in the last round.

"There are teams in the Football League who we could play and I would expect us to do well against, as we have proved over the years.

There will be no pressure on us Jimmy Harvey

"But Hull are competing very well in their league and our expectations of going through won't be that high.

"We have a very young squad, because of the injuries we've got, and most of them won't have tasted anything like this before.

"But there is no pressure on us and it will be a marvellous experience. I want them to enjoy it, absorb it and get what we can from the game."

A Morecambe win would rank as the shock of the round, but having coming back from 3-0 down to draw at Aldershot last Saturday, the Shrimps have proved they can defy the odds.

"Let's see what we can do and the glimmer of hope we do have is that we can score goals," added Harvey.

"In a one-off game like that we can score goals and we have a better chance than Hucknall."