Mathias in double shock

12 April 2012

Macclesfield assistant manager Ray Mathias was doubly surprised by the FA Cup third-round draw, which has pitched Coca-Cola League Two's bottom club away to Barclays Premiership champions Chelsea.

The Silkmen booked their place in the draw with a 2-1 win over Hartlepool. As well as struggling to take in the fact his side now face a glamour trip to west London, Mathias was taken by surprise the draw had started at all.

"I was in the house on my own and I was just having a shave. I was told [the draw] was on at four o'clock and not three, it was on the TV so I was halfway through a shave," Mathias told Sky Sports News. "Going to Chelsea is a fantastic thing for the players. They have earned the right to go there and hopefully they will do credit to themselves."

The big tie of the round pitched holders Liverpool against Arsenal, with the sides also due to meet in the Carling Cup quarter-finals on December 19.

That was one of three all-Premiership ties, with Manchester United at home to Aston Villa, Blackburn away to Everton and Portsmouth hosting Wigan.

Conference South side Salisbury will host Premiership strugglers Charlton if they come through a tough replay away to Nottingham Forest, the sides having drawn in yesterday's televised tie.

Salisbury boss Nick Holmes said: "We have got a little job to do in 10 days' time (in the replay), it's certainly not going to be easy. We've had a good game, we need to repeat that in 10 days' time and then we can talk about Charlton."

Tamworth's reward for beating fellow Conference side Rushden & Diamonds is a home tie against Championship club Norwich at The Lamb.

Hereford were denied the chance to claim another big FA Cup scalp when they were drawn away to either Bristol Rovers or Bournemouth.

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