Whitley Bay Preview
The Mikes couldn’t have been handed a longer trip or a tougher draw as they bid for a place in the last 32 of the FA Carlsberg Vase.
The Mikes head north to take on current holders Whitley Bay, of the Northern League Division 1. Bay currently sit second in the table and reached this stage of the competition with a 2-0 home win over Alsager Town, while the Mikes edged out Blaby & Whetstone thanks to an early Lee Osborne strike.
Both sides have done their homework. Representatives from Whitley Bay have watched the Mikes last two games, while Mikes boss Rob Mallaband travelled to Hillheads Park to watch last week’s 5-1 win over Penrith.
The Mikes will set out on Friday lunchtime, enjoying the rare luxury of an overnight stay in preparation for the tie and will also enjoy the use of the Newcastle United training ground upon arrival in Tyneside.
Jason Holmes is suspended for the tie, while last week’s absentees Adam Wood, Sean Butler, Kirk Smith and Neil Watkins return to the squad. Long-term injury victims Adam Jenkins, Richard Dunleavy and Mark Mason all make the trip as part of the squad, but are still undergoing their rehabilitation.
Goalkeeping Coach Rob Clarke looked ahead to the trip: “everybody is buzzing. To be drawn away against the holders is tough, but it’s a challenge the lads are relishing. We’ll be properly prepared, having a loosener at Newcastle’s training ground to get the journey out of our legs, before the overnight stay. It’s also a great chance to play in front of a decent crowd. The lads will look to feed off the atmosphere and produce a performance. We know we will have to play very well to get a result, but we’re well capable of giving anyone at this level a good game”.
Related Links:
Match Report – Round 1 v Studley: http://www.themikes.co.uk/Studley0-1BoldmereSt.MichaelsFAVASE.htm
Match Report – Round 2 v Blaby & Whetstone: http://www.themikes.co.uk/BlabyWhetstoneAthletic0BoldmereStMichaels1.htm
Whitley Bay’s preview: http://www.whitleybayfc.com/teams/preview.asp
Full Draw: http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/FACompetitions/TheFAVase/Fixtures.aspx
