Only a few more steps to FA Cup heaven for King’s Lynn, Lowestoft and Dereham

Lowestoft manager Ady Gallagher is hoping for a revenge win in the FA Cup against Harlow. Picture: Shirley D Whitlow. (Image: Shirley D Whitlow)

King’s Lynn Town, Lowestoft Town and Dereham Town are all in second qualifying round action in the world’s oldest knockout competition.

Flashback to Dereham's Town 2012-13 FA Cup run, ended by Met Police. Picture: Ian Burt (Image: Archant © 2012)

The Linnets travel to Nuneaton Town, Lowestoft are at home to Harlow Town and Dereham face Boston Town at Aldiss Park.

For Dereham, new boss Neal Simmons is looking to equal the club’s best ever performance – in 2012-13 when they reached the third qualifying round only to be knocked out by Met Police in a replay.

Simmons knows his Bostik North Division team are now the hunted as far as his opponents are concerned, but the Magpies know all about being the underdog so won’t take their United Counties Premier League opponents lightly.

King’s Lynn Town face opposition from a higher level and go into the game at Nuneaton on the back of their first defeat of the season, at Royston in midweek. But manager Ian Culverhouse is an old hand when it comes to the FA Cup – and in striker Michael Gash they have a player who has bags of experience in the competition, having played for Kidderminster Harriers in their run to the fourth round in 2014, when they were knocked out by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Lowestoft know all about their opponents having lost 2-0 to them in the league last month.

“It will be a good gauge to see how far we’ve come in that short space of time,” said manager Ady Gallagher. “I want to see that we’ve made progress.”

There are two more qualifying rounds in the competition before the first round in November, when League One and League Two clubs are in the draw. Premier League and Championship clubs join the competition at the third round stage in January.