Blyth plot Cherries cup upset

FA Cup second round: Bournemouth v Blyth Spartans
Venue: Dean Court Date: Saturday, 29 November Kick-off: 1730 GMT
Coverage: Live on Setanta Sports. Full commentary on BBC Radio Solent and BBC Radio Newcastle, score updates on BBC Radio 5 Live, text commentary on BBC Sport website

Graham Fenton (left) and Harry Dunn are plotting a cup upset at Bournemouth

By Matt Newsum

The spirits of 1978 are being resurrected at Blue Square North side Blyth Spartans, as the club prepares for their biggest FA Cup tie since that heady season.

Manager Harry Dunn and his team will make the 722-mile round trip to League Two side Bournemouth, with hopes and ambitions of writing a new chapter of their FA Cup fairytale.

Spartans reached the FA Cup fifth round in the 1977/78 season after seeing off league opposition in the shape of Chesterfield and Stoke City before Wrexham knocked them out in a replay at Newcastle United's St James' Park stadium.

And following the defeat of League Two high-fliers Shrewsbury at Croft Park in this season's first round, Dunn is hopeful of repeating those feats with the current squad.

"It is a little bit of extra pressure but I've been through into the first and second rounds of the FA Cup before so I'm a bit more streetwise at this level," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"It's great for the club, and the players who did it in 1978 were great players and great men, and that's what you try to get through to your players.

"On Saturday our players are going to have to be men, we're going to be playing in front of 5,000 of their supporters who'll get behind their team and the pressure will be on."

One man within Dunn's ranks who has played at the top level of the game is former Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City striker Graham Fenton.

Fenton, 34, was once a Premier League player before returning to his native north east and he believes quitting league football was the best thing he has done in football.

"This is probably the highlight of my FA Cup career," Fenton said.

"Pretty much since I've been here it's rejuvenated my love of the game, I had a bad time for six or seven years but the last three or four years have been enjoyable.

"If I can pass a bit of knowledge onto one or two players then it's all worthwhile and the longer this cup run can go on then the more successful we'll be looking."

Fenton has found a new lease of life in the north east with Blyth

Blyth's cup run has meant a taste of professional football for the players, many of whom hold down part-time jobs to supplement their income.

And Dunn has done all he can to ensure the players are prepared as best they can for the game.

"We're going to make sure they get well looked after on the way down, we've got a top-class bus, we're stopping in a top-class hotel and they'll be in bed early on Friday night," he said.

"There certainly be no alcohol before Saturday's game, most amateur footballers have a beer after the game but we've asked them to cut the drinks out and then give themselves a chance this week.

"They've never been in a situation like this before and it's a difficult situation for them to be in because the press are here and people want interviews with them, I just hope they take everything in their stride and enjoy it.

"There's a lot of people when they get in the limelight and try to be clever with it or shun it completely but the lads have got to go with it and enjoy it because it might never happen again."

Bournemouth manager Jimmy Quinn has already spoken of the importance of the tie to his club.

With the Cherries suffering financial difficulties, a place in the third round is as vital to them as it is for Blyth.

"People say to me it's Blyth Spartans' cup final, but it's Bournemouth's cup final as we've just come out of administration and if you get into the third round there's the possibility of pulling out a Premier League team, so it's a massive game for us," he told BBC Sport.

"The lads know what's at stake. This won't be an easy game as they've got nothing to lose at all.

"There won't be any nerves from their team - they'll come here, look at our stadium and think they can enjoy themselves.

"I'll be reminding the players that Blyth have already beaten Shrewsbury, who were third in our division at the time, so that tells you a lot about them."

Leading his team down to the south coast will be a proud moment for Dunn, who led Bishop Auckland to the same stage in 1989/90 where they lost to Crewe Alexandra.

But the former Scarborough player, who scored an equaliser in their FA Trophy win against Dagenham in 1977, admitted he will be something of a frustrated spectator come kick-off time on Saturday.

"I'll be perfectly honest I'd swap it all to play, to be playing games at Wembley, to be playing games like this, I'd swap it all," he said.

"Colin Appleton, my manager at Scarborough told us 'whatever you do - don't let this moment pass you by', that's what we told them against Shrewsbury, and that's what we'll tell them on Saturday.

"Moments like this don't come round very often, it's been 11 years since they were in the first round and 30 years since they got beyond it."

BBC Radio Newcastle will bring you full match commentary from Dean Court on Saturday, 29 November from 1700 GMT.

Additional reporting by Mark Mitchener.