When: November 18, 2000

Where: Holker Street

TODAY'S National League fixture sees Barrow AFC welcome Leyton Orient to Holker Street for the first meeting between the two clubs in nearly two decades.

Though the two teams now occupy the same tier of the football pyramid, Orient were once the Goliath to Barrow's David as AFC drew the London club in the First Round Proper of the 2000-01 FA Cup.

Despite a spirited performance from the Bluebirds, Football League pedigree prevailed as Orient ran out 2-0 winners.

Cup fever gripped the town, with 3,608 in attendance at Holker Street to watch the club's first appearance in the First Round Proper since 1995.

Orient were in fine league form going into the tie, sitting in fourth in the old Division Three. But AFC boss Kenny Lowe was confident in his side's chances, telling The Mail: "I think the way we can beat them is if we go 0-0 into the last 15 minutes and and keep it tight and be compact."

The home side dominated the early exchanges, and Lee Ellison looked to have given Barrow an early lead after poking in from close range.

But the AFC joy turned to despair as the linesman had flagged Nicky Peverell offside before he squared to his strike partner to finish.

The Bluebirds continued to threaten, with Graham Anthony and Wayne Bullimore controlling central midfield with dynamic, energetic performances.

Though Steve Housham and Barrow stalwart Neil Doherty both had chances to break the deadlock, Orient silenced the raucous home crowd with a goal from leading scorer Carl Griffiths eight minutes into the second half.

Full-back Nicky Shorey - then a precocious 19-year-old - provided a trademark surging run and cross for Griffiths' finish. Shorey would go on to represent Reading, Aston Villa, Fulham and West Brom in the Premier League. He was also capped twice by England in 2007.

Barrow had their own buccaneering left-back in Scott Maxfield, who was unlucky to not to level the tie after a goalbound shot was blocked.

However, FA Cup dreams were shattered in the 73rd minute when Orient substitute Steve Watts drilled a near-post cross past Simon Bishop in the AFC goal and into the top corner. It was appropriate Watts clinched the headlines after originally joining Leyton Orient by winning The Sun newspaper's 'Search for a Striker' competition.

Proud AFC chairman Brian Keen felt the team deserved at least a draw, saying: "The whole occasion, the whole organisation of it and everything, went exactly to plan, and the team were really a credit to the town."

The O's would go on to beat Northwich Victoria in the Second Round and draw a plum home tie against Tottenham Hotspur in the Third Round. Orient's attempts at their own giant-killing were thwarted by a Gary Doherty goal, with Sol Campbell, Darren Anderton and a young Ledley King all appearing in a 1-0 Spurs victory.

Orient did manage to reach the Milennium Stadium that season as they progressed to the Division Three Play-Off Final, though were beaten 4-2 by Blackpool in Cardiff.

By contrast, AFC suffered from a Cup hangover as they won only two of their following twelve games, before the loan signing of a certain Grant Holt helped spark the team to a sixth-place league finish.

Barrow: Bishop, Warren, Maxfield, Hume, Waller, Anthony, Housham, Ellison, Peverell, Bullimore, Bennett. Subs: Doherty 5 (for Bennett), Roberts 59 (for Ellison). Not used: Rogers, Peel, Heritage.

Leyton Orient: Bayes, Joseph, Lockwood, Smith, McGhee, Harris, Griffiths, Brkovic, Walshaerts, Shorey, Tate. Subs: Watts 45 (for Tate), Castle 53 (for Shorey), Downer 74 (for Brkovic). Not used: Barrett, Beall.