Spalding United are just 90 minutes away from a place among the elite in the first round of the FA Cup.
The Tulips face a tough challenge to get there though, after being drawn away to National League North leaders South Shields in the final qualifying round on October 11.
It comes after Jimmy Dean’s team added Step Two Dagenham & Redbridge to their giant-killing scalps belt, following an earlier victory over Alfreton Town.
Speaking after Monday’s draw on Talksport, Dean said: “I think it could have been a kinder draw but we’ll prepare like any other game and have some fun with it. The only difference this time is that we’ll be asking for an overnight stay, which is something we don’t normally do.
“We want to get to the first round proper and so far at every stage we had drawn the highest level opponents we could have, so another Step 2 side makes a nice change.
“We’ve got players who have played at this stage and level but we are still the underdogs. However, there’s no way we’re going up there to roll over and have our bellies tickled.
Dean is expecting a couple of hundred fans to make the near-400-mile round trip north and said it all helps build the club’s long-term support, on top of the £14,000-plus prize money already guaranteed from their progress so far.
A win on Tyneside would add at least another £21,000 to that figure.
“A good FA Cup run can also put an extra 300 to 400 on the gate going forward off the back of these one-off games,” added Dean.
Spalding fell behind to their full-time London visitors in Saturday’s third qualifying round tie at the Sir Halley Stewart Field before hitting back to score twice ahead of the break to secure progress. Joe Haigh gave the Daggers the lead but Yusifu Ceesay slotted the ball into the far corner of the net from a tight angle to level.
Jack Roberts was then the match winner when he took advantage of a poorly placed defensive wall to pop the ball into the top corner of the goal from 25 yards.
Dean said: “After a tough start conceding an early goal I don’t think it could have gone any better.
“The boys carried out the game plan really well. We reacted really positively. We were full value for a comfortable win and played out the game superbly well. I’m absolutely delighted, absolutely buzzing I can’t emphasise how happy I am with that.”
“There will be tough moments ahead but we’ve just got to stick together.”
Tulips: Jones, Sembie-Ferris, Bondswell, Moore, Johnson, Lawlor, Roberts (Nicholson), Bendle (Thompson), McCammon (Sani), Cybulski, Ceesay. Subs: Dadge, Clifton, Blythe, Hart.
Attendance: 925.
Pictures by Adrian Smith.
