| It's Morecambe at home for Carlisle in the first round of the FA Cup |
Well it's not exactly the most exciting of draws but at least it is at home to a side from a lower division, which is all you can really ask for at the opening stage of any cup competition. Morecambe are struggling in League Two as well as they currently sit 21st in the table, the Shrimps having won just one game all season, that being a surprise 2-1 home victory over Notts County.
Morecambe haven't been losing many matches either though and they have drawn nine of their 14 league games, their away record being four draws and only three defeats - scoring seven but conceding a hefty fifteen. The Shrimps having also been thumped on the road in the first round of the Carling Cup when they went down 5-1 at near neighbours Preston North End.
One of Morecambe's many draws this season obviously came in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy against Carlisle earlier this season. The match finishing 2-2 when Graham Kavanagh scored twice on the night - his second coming in the final minute to cancel out Shrimps goals from Garry Hunter and Wayne Curtis, United eventually going through 4-2 on penalties after the tie had gone straight to spot-kicks.
As for games between the two sides at Brunton Park, well there has only been one and that came in the then Nationwide Conference two days after New Year's Day 2005, on which Morecambe and Carlisle had drawn 1-1 at Christie Park. SKY viewers watching a match where honours ended even again at 3-3.
Carlisle racing into an early 2-0 lead through Glenn Murray and Andy Preece, Wayne Curtis then scoring for Morecambe before Magno Vieira made it 3-1 at the break. The Shrimps weren't to be beaten that day though and second-half goals from Garrys Hunter and Thompson saw the match end 3-3 in front of 6,751 spectators.
Elsewhere in the draw Paulton Rovers v Norwich City is obviously the standout tie, while Andy Preece's Northwich Victoria facing Charlton Athletic is also a game of good interest. The draw, made by Chris Powell picking the home clubs and Jimmy Anderson pulling out the away teams, offers little as far as local derbies are concerned though, with Stourbridge v Walsall the only one of note.
FA Cup First Round Proper Draw In Full
Gillingham v Southend United
Grimsby Town v Bath City
Gateshead v Brentford
Chesterfield v AFC Bournemouth
Blyth Spartans or AFC Telford United v Lincoln City
Stockport County v Tooting & Mitcham United or Eastbourne Borough
Burton Albion v Oxford City
Barrow or Chester City v Eastleigh
Oldham Athletic v Leeds United
Lincoln United or Cambridge United v Ilkeston Town
York City v Crewe Alexandra
Wycombe Wanderers v Brighton & Hove Albion
Hereford United v Sutton United
Nuneaton Town v Exeter City
Bristol Rovers v Southampton
Carlisle United v Morecambe
Forest Green Rovers v Mansfield Town
Oxford United v Yeovil Town
Paulton Rovers v Norwich City
Swindon Town v Woking
Port Vale v Stevenage Borough
Luton Town v Rochdale
Bromley v Colchester United
Accrington Stanley v Farnborough FC or Salisbury City
Millwall v Crawley Town or AFC Wimbledon
Stourbridge v Walsall
Shrewsbury Town v Staines Town
Wealdstone v Rotherham United
Torquay United v Cheltenham Town
Barnet v Darlington
Notts County v Bradford City
Huddersfield Town v Dagenham & Redbridge
Milton Keynes Dons v Macclesfield Town
Rushden & Diamonds v Hinckley United
Northwich Victoria v Charlton Athletic
Aldershot Town v Bury
Wrexham v Gloucester City or Lowestoft Town
Hartlepool United v Kettering Town or Redditch United
Tranmere Rovers v Leyton Orient
Northampton Town v Kidderminster Harriers or Fleetwood Town
ties to be played around the weeked of Saturday 7th November
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