Eastleigh set sights on Leeds tie

12 January 2016 07:53

Non-league Eastleigh will host Sky Bet Championship club Leeds in an 'incredible' FA Cup tie - if they can only win a replay in Bolton.

Saturday's 1-1 third-round draw with the Trotters at Ten Acres earned Vanarama National League side Eastleigh the right to try again in Lancashire and, should they succeed and progress, a home meeting with 1972 winners Leeds awaits.

Eastleigh's Welsh boss Chris Todd insists he is fully focused on trying to beat Bolton next week but could not conceal his excitement at the prospect of tackling Steve Evans' Whites on the south coast.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's a great tie. It's unbelievable for teams like Leeds and Bolton to be mentioned in the same breath as Eastleigh... that's a massive achievement.

"We've got a massive tie against Bolton and we know we're going to have to perform very, very highly to try and get through that. It's going to be very difficult.

"We've done extremely well to get where we are and we're very excited to have that challenge in front of us, against Bolton, and then the prize that we could achieve of playing Leeds at home which would be incredible really.

"Anything is possible. We're full of confidence, we know it's going to be difficult at their home ground but we've got nothing to lose."

Northampton's reward if they can get past MK Dons in a replay will be a visit from Chelsea while current FA Cup holders Arsenal must entertain Burnley.

Chelsea are not the only Barclays Premier League giant taking to the road as Manchester United were sent to Derby with Manchester City waiting to discover if they will head to Sky Bet League Two club Wycombe, or Aston Villa, after the Chairboys clinched a 1-1 draw at Adams Park.

Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Exeter and the winner of the Anfield replay will entertain West Ham.

Harry Kane's late penalty kept Tottenham in the competition and if Spurs can do the business against Leicester in their replay, a journey to Colchester awaits.

Crystal Palace tackle Stoke in a rare all-Premier League tie while Oxford, who knocked Swansea out on Sunday, must wait to discover if they will host their League Two rivals Newport, or Blackburn.

If West Brom manage to get past Bristol City they will welcome Peterborough, Everton are tasked with visiting either Carlisle or Yeovil from the fourth tier and Watford travel north to Nottingham Forest.

Bournemouth complete the top-flight contingent and could enjoy a short trip to Fratton Park if Portsmouth can overcome Ipswich.

Other ties see Huddersfield or Reading hosting Walsall, Shrewsbury entertaining Sheffield Wednesday and Hull going west to either Bury or Bradford.

The fourth round fixtures will be played between January 29 and February 1.

The draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup:

West Brom/Bristol City v Peterborough

Eastleigh/Bolton v Leeds

Arsenal v Burnley

Derby v Manchester United

Huddersfield/Reading v Walsall

Exeter/Liverpool v West Ham

Wycombe/Aston Villa v Manchester City

Shrewsbury v Sheffield Wednesday

Nottingham Forest v Watford

Carlisle/Yeovil v Everton

Crystal Palace v Stoke

Oxford v Newport County/Blackburn

Ipswich/Portsmouth v Bournemouth

Colchester v Tottenham/Leicester

Bury/Bradford v Hull

Northampton/MK Dons v Chelsea

Source: PA