Sheffield Cup underdogs in Roses battle

FC United of Manchester are favourites to proceed in the FA Cup.

Published Date: 10 September 2009

By Bob Westerdale

SHEFFIELD FC's FA Cup battle with FC United of Manchester will be an advertisement for non-League football, managers of both clubs predict.

The Roses rivals meet in the first qualifying round at Dronfield on Saturday, and both are intent on playing fluid, attacking football.

Sheffield manager Chris Dolby says: "I was at Rotherham with (FC manager) Karl Marginson and he was always one who wanted to get the ball down and play in the right way.

"They will get the ball to feet and work hard and play with quality.

"They have got some good calibre players but I take nothing away from my boys, we have some good new signings, a good work ethic will have the right approach physically and mentally."

Marginson, in an article in last Saturday's Star, said he thought Sheffield would follow Dolby's playing philosophy of attractive, attacking football.

Dolby said: "We are a League lower than them and definitely the underdogs going into the game. We have a lot of respect for FC but we are ready for a real battle!"

Up to 1,000 FC fans will make the cross-Pennine journey.

There was a short outbreak of trouble at FC's recent trip to play Retford at Lincoln, but Marginson insists FC fans were not the type to cause agro.

He said he thought that fans of league teams often showed up at matches to cause trouble because of FC's association with Manchester United.

*Stocksbridge Park Steels enter the FA Cup at this stage and face a trip to fellow Unibond side Clitheroe who are in Division One North.

They are set to do so without their star winger Jamie Vardy who is due to start a suspension on Saturday.

Clitheroe were held at home in the last round by NCEL side Staveley MW but they came over to North East Derbyshire and won the replay.

Gary Marrow's side go into the tie on the back of a 4-2 home win over Marine on Tuesday which enabled Stocksbridge to consolidate their position in the top two of the Premier Division.

However, Marrow will be keen to warn his players that they are there to be shot at in the uncertain world of the FA Cup and good starts to a league campaign can count for nothing in the most unpredictable cup tournament of all.

There are two ties on Sunday with a local derby which sees Worksop Town at home to their fellow Unibond League Premier Division side Frickley Athletic.

And Hallam entertain Burscough at Sandygate, both those ties kicking off at 3pm.

The clubs have a handy cash incentive because £3,000 goes to those who get through this stage.