EASTLEIGH have got their wish of a home tie against Football League opposition in the FA Cup first round proper.
The Spitfires - the only non-League side to reach the third round last season - have drawn a tasty showdown against League One strugglers Swindon Town over the weekend of November 4-7.
Vice-captain Joe Partington said: “It will be a good test for us to try and pull off a result against a League One team.
“It’s nice for the fans to experience another League side coming to Eastleigh. Hopefully we can emulate the atmosphere we had when Bolton were here last season.
“Last year’s run was massive for all the lads in the team and it was great for the club and the chairman to get such good coverage. If you play the FA Cup right and do well, you get publicity the league will never give you.”
While Eastleigh were enjoying a fairytale 2015/16 FA Cup adventure that saw them beat Bromley, Crewe and Stourbridge away before famously taking Bolton Wanderers to a third round replay, Swindon were having another miserable time of it.
The Robins have failed to progress past the first round for four years. Last season they were beaten 3-1 at Rochdale and prior to that they exited at the hands of lower-league opposition.
Cheltenham emphatically saw them off 5-0 in November 2014 and in the two seasons before that the Robins were twice left red-faced by Macclesfield Town.
Currently head coach Luke Williams’ side are fifth to bottom of League One with just three wins from 13 outings.
Portsmouth, the opposition many Eastleigh fans might have been hoping for, have been drawn at home to Wycombe Wanderers, while ex-Eastleigh boss Richard Hill’s Whitehawk entertain Stourbridge.
Full FA Cup first round draw:
Sheffield United v Leyton Orient
Millwall v Southend United
Dagenham & Redbridge v FC Halifax Town
Merstham v Oxford United
Taunton/Hemel Hempstead v Barrow
Southport v Fleetwood Town
Yeovil v Solihull Moors
Stockport County v Torquay/Woking
Dartford v Sutton United
Walsall v Macclesfield Town
Port Vale v Stevenage
Northampton v Harrow Borough/Margate
Cambridge United v Dover Athletic
Westfields v York/Curzon Ashton
MK Dons v Spennymoor Town
Gillingham v Brackley Town
Alfreton/Gateshead v Newport County
Portsmouth v Wycombe Wanderers
Maidstone United v Rochdale
Bury v AFC Wimbledon
St Albans City v Carlisle United
Boreham Wood v Notts County
Mansfield Town v Plymouth Argyle
Braintree Town v Eastbourne Borough
Hartlepool United v Wrexham/Stamford
Bolton Wanderers v Grimsby Town
Bradford City v Accrington Stanley
Oldham Athletic v Doncaster Rovers
Eastleigh v Swindon Town
Shrewsbury Town v Barnet
Morecambe v Coventry City
Crawley Town v Bristol Rovers
Whitehawk v Stourbridge
Colchester United v Chesterfield
Lincoln City/Guiseley v Altrincham
Exeter City v Luton Town
Charlton Athletic v Scunthorpe United
Cheltenham Town v Crewe Alexandra
Peterborough United v Chesham
Blackpool v Kidderminster Harriers
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel