So it’s the magic of the FA Cup this weekend as we welcome to the JCS Worcester City from the Southern Football Premier Central division in the FA Cup 1st Round.
Worcester are in the seventh tier of English football and play in the same league as Bury Town, Needham Market, Leamington (remember them?) and poor old Kettering Town. They’ve not got off to the best of start’s this season, sounds familiar, and were in the relegation places a few weeks ago but some great results in the FA Cup seemed to have transferred to their league form as they’ve won their last two games 3-0 and 4-1. The 4-1 victory coming against the current league leaders Real Bedford. In the FA Cup this season they’ve already defeated Knowle, Stratford, Kettering and Chorley. It’s certainly been a while since the U’s had four wins in the FA Cup. They were actually minutes from going out of the cup away at Chorley but a stoppage time equaliser saved them and they won the replay with a 90th minute winner which was a real belter of a goal. They really must think it’s their year and where better to come than to a League Two team who hasn’t won a football match since August!
It’s been widely reported that Worcester are going to be physical and direct and there’s no doubt that their players are going to well up for it. We really can’t afford to take them lightly and I feel Danny will name a pretty strong team whilst also giving a few of the fringe players a run out so I’m expecting the U’s to lineup as follows:
Smith
Kuffour Jr Tucker Raggett Terry
Digby Hunt
Thorn Sesay
Payne
Williams
Subs
Akande, Connolly, Perry, Harvey, Iandolo, Vincent-Young, Lo-Tutala
I’m not sure if Ihionvien will be allowed to play by Peterborough, if he is then I expect him to take Akande’s spot on the bench.
In a week where our youth team were humbled at the JCS by Sudbury in the FA Youth Cup this tie really does have shock written all over it…with a Col U win! Joking aside, Danny has yet to taste victory in the FA Cup in his time in charge of the U’s despite two decent enough performances the last two seasons. Will it be third time lucky on Saturday? We really could do with something to kickstart our season and defeat would be pretty disastrous.
Our FA Cup 1st Round record is not the best in recent years:
2025-26 – MK at home lost 3-2
2024-25 – Swindon away lost 2-1 after extra time
2023-24 – Shrewsbury away lost 3-2
2022-23 – Newport away lost 2-0
2021-22 – Sudbury away won 4-0
2020-21 – Marine home lost on penalties after 1-1 draw
2019-20 – Coventry home lost 2-0
2018-19 – Accrington away lost 1-0
2017-18 – Oxford City home lost 1-0
2016-17 – Chesterfield home lost 2-1
Makes for pretty horrendous reading that. One victory in our last 11 FA Cup games!
I’m pretty sure there’s no one in either squad who has played for both but I did discover that Ashley Vincent both played (2015-16) and managed Worcester (2019-20) I don’t know of any other players that have ever figured for both but there might be the odd one of two out there. It seems they do have a bit of history with the FA Cup and back in in the 1958-59 season defeated Chelmsford City, Millwall and Liverpool on their way to the 3rd Round where they would lose 2-0 to Sheffield United. More recently they beat Coventry away in the 1st Round in 2014 but would go on to lose 14-13 to Scunthorpe on penalties after a replay. Evidently the longest penalty shoot-out in FA Cup history.
The weather at the JCS tomorrow is set to be cloudy and cool at 10 degrees with light winds from the west. Tomorrow looks like it's the first ever meeting between the two clubs and I’m backing the U’s to come through an uncomfortable game with a 3-1 win, goals from Sesay, Payne and Connolly.
Up the U’s! |  |
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