BARROW AFC will face Carlisle United conquerors Rochdale in the third round of the FA Cup.
With fans in the Crossbar hoping for a draw against Premier League opposition, there were groans as Barrow – in only the second tie out of the hat – were paired with League One Dale.
To make matters worse, Manchester United were the next team out of the hat, provoking questions of what might have been.
The reaction of the @BarrowAFC fans to their underwhelming @EmiratesFACup draw at home to @officiallydale #nooffencerochdale pic.twitter.com/ErLcmwrg1Y
— Paul Turner (@paulturnerNWEM) December 5, 2016
Manager Paul Cox, speaking on BBC2, said: “The chairman will be happy at least, because it’s at home. It’s at home and were happy with that.”
Adam Brown, 22, was among the dozens watching the draw in the Crossbar at Holker Street, and said: “It could have been better. You always dream of that big club but we will take the draw at home. If you look at their away form, it isn’t the best, so I don’t see why we can't win it.”
AFC reached the third round for the 12th time in their history with a 2-1 win at Rochdale’s League One rivals Bristol Rovers on Sunday – Byron Harrison scoring both the goals.
Barrow have never reached the fourth round of the competition, but a home draw does at least give them a chance of putting that competition record to bed.
Dale sit eight places above Rovers in League One and won 2-0 at Carlisle in the first round on Saturday.
Read Paul Cox's full reaction here .
FULL THIRD ROUND DRAW
Ipswich v Lincoln or Oldham
Barrow v Rochdale
Manchester United v Reading
Hull v Swansea
Sunderland v Burnley
QPR v Blackburn
Millwall v Bournemouth
West Ham v Manchester City
Brighton v Charlton or MK Dons
Blackpool v Barnsley
Wigan v Nottingham Forest
Birmingham v Newcastle
Chelsea v Notts County of Peterborough
Middlesbrough v Sheffield Wednesday
West Brom v Derby
Everton v Leicester
Liverpool v Newport County of Plymouth
Wycombe v Stourbridge or Northampton
Watford v Burton
Preston v Arsenal
Cardiff v Fulham
Stoke v Wolves
Cambridge v Leeds
Bristol City v Shrewsbury or Fleetwood
Huddersfield v Port Vale
Tottenham v Aston Villa
Brentford v Halifax or Eastleigh
Bolton v Crystal Palace
Norwich v Southampton
Sutton United v AFC Wimbledon
Accrington Stanley v Luton
Rotherham v Oxford or Macclesfield
Ties will take place between January 6 and January 9.
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