Adam Virgo Column: There Are Some FA Cup Upsets In The Air

If they’re not? Well as we have seen so often, that’s when the underdogs can have their day.

At BT Sport we can’t wait to get our teeth into second round weekend. Although the National League clubs we cover every week are, in the main, away from home, there’s plenty to be excited about.

Another golden rule for Non-League clubs against EFL opposition is to have your big guns firing. Danny Rowe is a natural goalscorer with a great all-round game. We saw what he could do last night and he took the headlines as Fylde drew 1-1 with Wigan.

The BT Sport Saturday lunchtime game comes from Notts County, where Oxford City visit.

I spoke to the Oxford manager Mark Jones yesterday and he has taken real confidence from their form since winning at Colchester in the first round. Maybe the direct way County play gives them another chance of an upset?

But what’s for sure is that Oxford need four or five of their players to think it’s a foregone conclusion. They also need their own keeper Jack Stevens to have the game of his life and for their players to show what I know they’ve got - a really good starting side. They have a chance.

Mark is right in what he says. Oxford have had a tough few years for one reason or another and one more win could change their club totally. You just don’t know who you could draw in the third round.

One of the National League sides who do have home advantage is Gateshead. Sadly for Steve Watson - who has done a great job since going in there - they’re playing Luton, who have knocked seven goals past teams twice this season, and six past another!

But Gateshead have one of those grounds that you don’t know how opposition will react to it. It’s open and you’re far away from the fans. I wonder about this one.

It’s a shame so many of the National League teams face away games. I think Boreham Wood can get a draw at Coventry - bring them back, and they could go the same way as Blackpool did in the last round. With Bruno Andrade, you sense he has something in him this weekend.

If only Maidstone United had MK Dons at home. We’ve seen before in the FA Cup how important these 3G pitches are against Football League clubs.

Mansfield v Guiseley is another game you wonder how it would have played out if they had home advantage. Steve Evans didn’t muck around against Shaw Lane in the last round, and I don’t believe he will here.

I think something could happen at Woking v Peterborough you know. A lot of people ask why it wasn’t picked for TV and the simple fact is that the companies had to select the games before the replays were decided.

It’s a real pity but with Anthony Limbrick in charge, they have a real chance of making it through to the third round. There could be an upset, the Cards have done even greater things in the past.

Then, whoever they get, there’s no chance they won’t get a live TV slot!