Lymington & New Milton may not have landed their first-choice FA Cup tie, but an October 25 trip to Salisbury City is not to be sneezed for the Sydenhams Wessex League's sole survivors.
"I was hoping to get Paulton Rovers at home," confessed manager Ian Robinson, who is looking to make history by leading the Linnets into the first round proper for the first time ever.
But he added: "We're not too fazed by Salisbury. After all, it could have been a lot worse. There's an opportunity there for us and I've always said that I don't mind if we're beaten by a better side as long as we don't look back next May and say 'what if?'.
"The disadvantage is that we're away from home, but it's not a long journey and we hope to take a bit of local support."
Having despatched Highworth Town 2-0 at Fawcett's Field on Saturday, the Linnets are preparing for only their second ever appearance in the fourth qualifying round having gone out 3-1 to Aldershot Town in the 1999/2000 season under the management of Derek Binns.
Robinson himself had never progressed beyond the second qualifying round stage before - a stark contrast to Salisbury boss Nick Holmes who famously lifted the Cup at Wembley with Saints in 1976.
Although Salisbury sparked one of the shocks of the third qualifying round by turfing out Havant & Waterlooville 4-3 on Saturday, their Dr Martens Eastern Division results have been a pale shadow of last season's when they finished fourth.
Holmes knows it's a clich, but he is putting the Cup on a back-burner for now while he concentrates on getting league form up to scratch.
The Whites, currently 15th in the table, have an important game tonight (7.45) at former cellar dwellers Fleet Town, who have pulled to within a point of Holmes's men.
The ex-Saints midfielder said: "Because of the cups, we haven't played a league game for three weeks. We've got three Eastern Division fixtures to get through before we start thinking about the Lymington game and I want to keep the boys' minds on what's got to be done in the meantime."
Salisbury had been hoping to speak to Fleet's left-sided midfielder Shaun Hale after tonight's game, but he is unavailable through Army duty.
Fleet boss Mick Catlin reckons the Whites are wasting their time in any case because Hale does not want to leave the north Hampshire club.
He said: "We can't put Shaun on contract because he's an Army lad. Tommy Killick (Salisbury assistant boss) has been pestering him, but Shaun's not interested. He's happy where he is." Salisbury will again be without injured duo Steve Strong and Scott Bartlett.
Newport IoW and Basingstoke Town have both been handed tasty home draws - provided they get through tough FA Cup replays tonight.
Stoke will entertain Conference high-fliers Barnet should they win at Bracknell, while the Islanders' reward for victory at Harrow Borough would be a plum tie against Conference leaders Hereford United.
Newport famously knocked The Bulls out of the Cup 3-2 away in the 1998/99 third qualifying round and manager Steve Tate laughed: "I was playing for Havant & Waterlooville in those days, but I'm sick and tired of seeing all the photos in the club boardroom!"
Port are tonight without experienced defender Pete Tagg, who is out for a month with a troublesome ankle.
FA CUP DRAW:
FA Cup fourth qualifying round: (Southern section): Leyton v Histon or Newmarket Town, Eastbourne Borough v Stevenage Borough, Basingstoke Town or Bracknell Town v Barnet, Thame United v Farnborough Town, Grays Athletic v Margate, Folkestone Invicta or Welling Utd v Weston-super-Mare or Chesham Utd, Hayes or Boreham Wood v Kettering Town, Forest Green Rovers v Aldershot Town, Bromley or Thurrock v Dagenham & Redbridge, Newport IoW or Harrow Borough v Hereford Utd, Maidstone Utd or Bishop's Stortford v Gloucester City, Salisbury City v Lymington & New Milton, Cambridge City v Ford Utd, Mangotsfield Utd v Canvey Island, Hornchurch v Paulton Rovers, East Thurrock Utd or AFC Sudbury v Woking, Cirencester Town v Crawley Town, Exeter City v Gravesend & Northfleet.
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