The Harriers have always had a good reputation in this competition by virtue of winning it once against Burton Albion in 1987 at the Hawthorns replay after drawing the first game at the old Wembley Stadium.    In 1991 they reached Wembley again but this time lost to a Wycombe side about to hit the big time through their manager, Martin O'Neill.

Four years later in 1995 we were back at the twin towers for a final involving ourselves and Woking.    The Southerners came out top that day.

By the time we entered the Football League in 2000 the FA Trophy was starting to lose it's cáche and was thought of as more of a trophy for teams lower down the pyramid to make the most of.    Now we're back where we belong! it seems that attitude has not changed much and the Conference play-offs are the main target of aspiring clubs nowadays.

It'll be interesting to see how two clubs with no chance of promotion will treat the game tomorrow.


This will be caretaker manager Martin O'Connors first real test at home - you can't really count the defeat against Halesowen in the WSC on Wednesday as a test although some people seem to think he should have been sacked for that.    We should have Gareth Sheldon back in the equation after coming through that game unscathed but there does seem to be a doubt concerning the injury to Iyseden Christie's neck.

My main concern is from whence this injury came and why did it only appear after a touchline row with the departed Stuart Watkiss.    To say he got it in the neck was taking it a bit literally.

Simon Russell is still out with a fractured wrist and Marc Pugh has gone back home to Burnley.    Although he was coming to the end of his loan spell it seems that Burnley didn't want him to stay at Aggborough after the loss of Watkiss.    It begs the question that if SW had not been sacked would Pugh be playing this Saturday and well into the New Year.

Chris McHale is now also back in with a chance of a recall following his return from Stourport Swifts.


As in previous weeks don't ask me what Scarboroughs plans for the game are.    They don't seem too interested so I reckon we'll walk this Tin-Pot Cup and at long last we'll see some silverware above the fireplace next year.


Harriers from:
Danby, Lewis, Hatswell, Burgess, Flynn, Mullins, Ludlow, Jackson, McHale, Fleming, Graves, Heslop, Hurren, Penn, Christie, Atieno, Hollis, Sheldon, Wilson, Butler, Blackwood, Thompson.

Scarborough from:
Walker, Dunbavin, Pecora, Nicholson, Foot, Weaver, Hackworth, Bishop, Quayle, Clark, Lyth, Baker, Atkinson, Hughes, Parton, McClare, Fowler, Cook, Coulson, Beadle, Blott, Eccles, Wake, Jarvis.