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If Blackpool can get past Aldershot, they will stand a very good chance of landing a bigger club in the fourth round, which sees the competition reduced to 32 teams.
But no one should consider it a foregone conclusion, given the nature of the cup and the memories of defeats to non-league teams in previous years.
Aldershot currently sit in eleventh position in the Nationwide Conference, having lost their most recent outing 3-2 at Stevenage Borough.They had won their previous two away games however, 3-1 at Burton Albion, and 3-1 at Basingstoke in the FA Cup second round replay.
The Shots' include 38-year-old Marcus Gayle in their line-up, who scored the winning goal for Wimbledon against Manchester United in the fourth round in 1997 as the Dons progressed to the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Chelsea.
Speaking about the tie on the club's official website, Gayle provided a warning for the Blackpool set-up: "League form goes out of the window.
"We will be the underdogs and I am sure that they will be feeling the pressure at home because they won't want to concede a fourth round place to a Conference side.
"This is an historic occasion on Saturday. It is the first time the club has been in the third round and the stage is set for everybody and I really want to give the fans something to cheer about up at Bloomfield Road."
This is a cup game that Blackpool will be eager to win; complacency could easily lead to disaster.
With thanks to The Citizen
http://www.blackpoolcitizen.co.uk/sport