By Mark Stillman
Kettering Town will travel to near neighbours Northampton Town in one of several mouthwatering FA Cup first round ties.
The Southern League Premier Central club have beaten Stafford Rangers, Cleethorpes Town, St Ives Town and Farsley Celtic to reach this stage for the first time in 13 years.
The Poppies are the leading goalscorers in the competition’s history and will been keen to add to that when they make the 20-mile journey south to Sixfields, home of League One Northampton.
They last met their Northants rivals in the FA Cup in 1989, when the Cobblers won a first round tie 1-0 at Rockingham Road thanks to Dean Thomas’ winner. Thomas went on to manage Kettering.
Another derby sees Weston-super-Mare make the short trip to Bristol Rovers.
The Seagulls extended their unbeaten run to 13 when they overcame Lowestoft Town on Saturday. It’s their first outing at this stage for six years.
They’ll be confident of an upset – Chesham United and Boreham Wood have won at the Memorial Stadium in recent years in the cup – but the Gas have won their last two league games and thrashed Whitby Town 7-2 at this stage last year.
Tamworth’s reward for beating Macclesfield is a home draw with Huddersfield Town.
The Lambs have reached round one for the first time in 10 years while Huddersfield, 1921 winners, will play their first tie in this round for 13 years following relegation from the Championship in May.
Sutton United landed the highest ranked side in the competition. They’ll face Birmingham City at Gander Green Lane.
Sutton came behind to win at Chertsey Town and will hope to replicate their 2017 run to round five against the Blues. Birmingham won the League Cup as recently as 2011 and came from 2-0 down to beat Blyth Spartans in 2015, their last meeting with a non-league side in the FA Cup.
Alfreton Town will make the relatively short journey to Notts County.
The Reds lost in a second round replay last year to League Two Walsall and will have a tough task to defeat EFL opposition for the first time – County are third in League Two but have lost their last three at home in all competitions.
Harborough Town, in the first round for the first time, are away to National League South side Tonbridge Angels, while the lowest ranked side in the draw, Hednesford Town, will be home to Gainsborough Trinity or Boston United if they win their replay at Gateshead.
Full draw (ties to be played on weekend of 2 November):
Rotherham United v Cheltenham Town
Barrow v Doncaster Rovers
Worthing v Morecambe
Boreham Wood v Leyton Orient
Exeter City v Barnet
Carlisle United v Wigan Athletic
Tamworth v Huddersfield Town
Hartlepool United or Brackley Town v Braintree Town
Curzon Ashton v Mansfield Town
Wycombe Wanderers v York City
Bradford City v Aldershot Town
Hednesford Town or Gateshead v Gainsborough Trinity or Boston United
Burton Albion v Scarborough Athletic
Tranmere Rovers v Oldham Athletic
Rochdale v Bromley
Walsall v Bolton Wanderers
Grimsby Town v Wealdstone
Bristol Rovers v Weston-super-Mare
MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon
Altrincham or Solihull Moors v Maidstone United
Stockport County v Forest Green Rovers
Reading v Fleetwood Town
Stevenage v Guiseley
Northampton Town v Kettering Town
Rushall Olympic or Peterborough Sports v Accrington Stanley
Swindon Town v Colchester United
Salford City v Shrewsbury Town
Crewe Alexandra v Dagenham & Redbridge
Port Vale v Barnsley
Chesham United v Lincoln City
Chesterfield v Horsham
Southend United v Charlton Athletic
Notts County v Alfreton Town
Taunton Town or Maidenhead United v Crawley Town
Harrogate Town v Wrexham
Woking v Cambridge United
Gillingham v Blackpool
Tonbridge Angels v Harborough Town
Sutton United v Birmingham City
Newport County v Peterborough United
