FA Trophy draw reaction: Lowestoft Town on their travels as King’s Lynn Town get rub of green again

Lowestoft Town are back in action this evening. Picture: NICK BUTCHER (Image: ©archant2014)

The Linnets and their Suffolk counterparts, along with Dereham Town, were hoping to land home ties when their names went into the hat for yesterday's FA Trophy third qualifying round draw. And while the Norfolk duo were left smiling, the Trawlerboys' miserable run of luck in national competitions continued.

For the 14th FA Cup or Trophy match in a row Lowestoft were handed an away tie, this time at same-level Eastbourne Borough. It's the seventh successive match in non-league's premiere knockout competition that the Blues have been on the road and joint-boss Ady Gallagher admits you couldn't make their rotten streak up.

The Lowestoft chief, whose side visit Felixstowe & Walton United in tonight's Suffolk Premier Cup quarter-final, said: 'I remember a few years back we had a decent run of home ties in the Vase. I suppose what goes around comes around.

'It's an extremely long time to be consistently drawn out away from home. The last time we played at home in the FA Cup was Chelmsford (2011). Even in this season's Suffolk Cup both of our games have been away. We're coming close to 20 consecutive ties away. It's phenomenal. It's a cycle we'll break at some stage and hopefully if we perform well and get through at Eastbourne it can be in the next round.

'But it is an astonishing run, especially when you think Eastbourne is not even close to us as well.'

Gary Setchell's Linnets, on the other hand, have welcomed teams to The Walks in eight of their 10 Trophy fixtures since the club was reformed. In the same four-year period as Lowestoft, 18 of their 23 Cup or Trophy matches have been on their own turf.

'It's great to be at home again, but like Fylde in the FA Cup it's going to be a very tough game,' said Setchell of Lynn's penultimate qualifying round match against higher-level Harrogate Town, who play in the Conference North alongside Lowestoft.

'We've had very good luck and long may it continue. We're fortunate we've got the luck of the draw again but I guess over a period of 100 games things might even themselves out a bit.'

Step Four Dereham Town will host a club that play two tiers above them if they see off Sholing in tonight's second attempt after fog saw the first game abandoned on Saturday with the scores tied at 1-1. The Magpies will welcome Conference South Farnborough if they dispose of the FA Vase holders.

Magpies' boss Matt Henman said: 'We've only played one Step Two side in our history and that was Boston United away in this season's FA Cup. It would be nice to be at home against a Step Two side for the first time. Our bad luck with draws over the last couple of years has turned around in a pretty big way. We had half-an-hour looking at Farnborough but quickly our focus turned back to Sholing.'

Third qualifying round matches of the competition, which stages its final at the home of English football, will be held on Saturday, November 29. Winners will pocket £4,000 prize money.