Looking to avoid a gigantic upset on Friday night, League Two side Walsall will travel to face eighth-tier outfit Sheppey United, who are participating in the first round of the FA Cup for the first time.

The Ites have battled through five rounds of qualifying over several months to reach the biggest game in their history against a Saddlers team who have struggled with inconsistency so far this term.

Match preview

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After over 100 failed attempts at navigating their way to the first round of the FA Cup, Sheppey United made history on October 17 with a penalty-shootout success over seventh-tier Billericay Town at Holm Park to claim the title as the lowest-ranked club left in this year's competition.

The Ites' leading marksman Daniel Bradshaw - brother of former Walsall striker Tom Bradshaw - found the net in the early stages against Billericay before a Bradley Stevenson strike forced the game to be decided by penalties, with Jacob Lambert netting the winning spot kick.

Currently sitting 14th in the Isthmian League South East Division - the fourth-highest level of non-league football in England - Sheppey have done remarkably well to see off Midhurst & Easebourne, Kennington, Burgess Hill, Merthyr Town and the aforementioned Billericay to set up a glamour tie with the Saddlers.

This season's unlikely cup run has provided some much-needed financial support for the Ites, who lost their chairman and main sponsor Mark Smith in the summer, and when considering ticket sales as well as prize money, the part-time club could reportedly be making over six figures from their early-season adventures.

Sheppey boss Ernie Batten has described the club's foray in the FA Cup as a "fairytale come true" ahead of Friday's clash at Holm Park, and despite four divisions separating the sides, the Ites believe they have the ability to make even more history this weekend.

Walsall have tasted victory in just one of their last seven matches across all competitions after a narrow 2-1 loss at One Call Stadium against high-flying Mansfield Town on Saturday afternoon, with further pressure mounting on Mat Sadler to get his side climbing towards the top half of the division.

Former Cardiff City and Bristol City enforcer Aden Flint opened the scoring for Mansfield before ex-Stags youngster Ryan Stirk restored parity for the Saddlers in the second half, but a 71st-minute Jordan Bowery goal stole all the points for the hosts and maintained their unbeaten start to the League Two campaign.

The Saddlers currently occupy 15th position in the fourth-tier standings after collecting a steady 20 points from their opening 16 matches, and although seventh-placed Accrington Stanley are only six points ahead, the chances of the Black County outfit returning to League One at the fifth attempt appear slim.

After a temporary move to Drogheda United in the first half of 2023, Lincoln City loanee Freddie Draper is beginning to show that his goalscoring talents can translate into the professional game in England, with the 19-year-old making the net ripple on eight occasions in 13 League Two appearances so far.

Sadler's men will assume the role of overwhelming favourites for progression into the second round on Friday night and they should take confidence from last season's run in the competition, in which they squeezed into the fourth round before being knocked out by Leicester City.

Team News

Sheppey will be sweating over the fitness of leading goalscorer Bradshaw ahead of Friday's match, and although he has missed the club's last three league games with a back injury, the forward has vowed to do everything in his power to be on the pitch against Walsall.

In the absence of Bradshaw, 24-year-old Alex Willis has carried the goalscoring burden in recent matches, with the attacker netting a brace in the 3-2 defeat at Merstham last Saturday.

The FA Cup is often a competition in which young talents can showcase their abilities on the world stage, and Oladipo Durowoju will be hoping to do just that on Friday, with the 17-year-old winger enjoying a breakthrough campaign in the eighth tier in 2023-24.

Walsall's leading marksman Draper is still a doubt for this match after limping off during the 1-1 draw with Crawley Town over a week ago, meaning 30-year-old Danny Johnson is set to lead the line for the visitors at Holm Park.

The Saddlers' ongoing injury crisis has reduced their options in defence severely, with centre-back Harry Williams sitting out of the Mansfield defeat due to an ankle issue, so David Okagbue is likely to partner Donervon Daniels on Friday night.

After missing a large chunk of the opening months of the campaign due to a mixture of illness, injury and suspension, Tom Knowles is cherishing a run in the Walsall XI, and the winger should be handed another start alongside Strik and Brandon Comley in the midfield.

Sheppey United possible starting lineup:
Prall; Morgan, Majoyegbe, Diallo, Hamill; Leonard, Wilkins, Lambert, Wisson, Bessey-Saldanha; Bradshaw

Walsall possible starting lineup:
Evans; Riley, Okagbue, Daniels, Gordon; Knowles, Comley, Stirk, Hutchinson, Tierney; Johnson

We say: Sheppey United 1-2 Walsall

Sheppey will be fired up for the biggest game in their history on Friday, but the question is whether the Ites can control their emotions and take advantage of any opportunities that arise on the night.

Walsall have been slow starters in League Two matches this season and cannot afford to give the Holm Park crowd anything to feed on - we believe that Sadler's men will narrowly avoid a major upset in Kent.


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