Yeovil look to tame Vieira and co at Highbury in the FA Cup
Published:Conference National side Fleetwood Town, who have been likened to Arsenal for more reasons than just sharing the name of the Gunners’ former stadium, Highbury, will be hoping to knock out League One side Yeovil Town from the FA Cup second round.
Ironically, they also play in red and have a Vieira of their own – the well-travelled Magno Vieira. He is not a relation to former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, but it’s ironic nonetheless.
Having already seen off Yeovil’s League One counterparts Wycombe in the previous round, the Glovers will know they are in for a tough ride some 550 miles from their home in Somerset.
The Glovers’ start to this campaign has been disappointing, hindered by the loss of several key players over the summer. Terry Skiverton has had to rebuild his side with a very small budget – the squad largely made up of free and loan signings.
However, they won their first away game of the season against Hartlepool last weekend and key players are returning from injury.
In contrast, Fleetwood are a team on the rise. The current club was only established in 1997, beginning in the tenth tier. Five promotions later, with a sixth on the agenda this year, things are heading in the right direction for Micky Mellon’s side.
Their ambition has become evident – they’ve expanded the capacity of their stadium and added corporate facilities to generate more revenue, while the players turned professional at the start of last season.
They go into the game unbeaten in their last seven league and cup outings and are currently top of the Conference table after Tuesday night’s victory over Kettering.
Fleetwood, who are 6/5 to win the game in the FA Cup odds, will have an eye on the third round and possibly a glamour tie against one of the Premier League’s big guns. Their current form suggests they have every chance of upsetting the League One strugglers.
It would not be no surprise if there are plenty of goals in this game, with the hosts attacking, yet open style of play. A 3-1 triumph for the hosts is 18/1, while a 3-2 home win is 22/1.
