Fleetwood’s first ever League Cup tie could not be much bigger, with two-time European champions Nottingham Forest the visitors to Highbury Stadium (Match Betting – Fleetwood 5/2, draw 13/5, Forest 4/5).

Boss Micky Mellon has been busy over the summer, bringing in 11 players in an attempt to establish the club in League Two. The likes of Youl Mawene, David Ball, Conor McLaughlin and Jon Parkin could all make their debut on Monday evening.

Forest, who staved off the threat of relegation from the Championship last term, have also been busy in the transfer market following their take-over by Kuwaiti businessman Fawaz Al Hasawi.

Adlene Guedioura, Danny Collins, Greg Halford, Dan Harding, Simon Gillett and Daniel Ayala have all been snapped up by Sean O’Driscoll, who replaced Steve Cotterill soon after the takeover.

With so many new faces on show it is tricky for the punter to pick a winner, though Forest’s Championship status means they are 4/5 favourites. However, Fleetwood have crucial momentum following their promotion and this could be the stage to announce their arrival as a league club in style. A 2-1 Fleetwood win is priced at a tempting 12/1.

Sheffield Wednesday and Oldham were in the same division last season, but Wednesday’s dramatic last day promotion to the Championship in May means they now occupy the position of giants in this fixture (Match Betting – Oldham 13/5 draw 5/2, Sheff Wed Evs).

That promotion was the culmination of a sharp rise in form under boss Dave Jones, who took over at the start of March and did not lose a match for the rest of the campaign, the club eventually finishing second behind champions Charlton.

Like Fleetwood, that momentum, which has seen them win 11 and draw three since losing to Chesterfield on February 18, means they should be confident, even with Oldham’s home advantage.

However, Latics fans will point to a 2-1 pre-season friendly win over champions Manchester City as cause for optimism and you have to wonder whether Wednesday’s minds will be focused on the cup, when a good start back in the Championship is so important.

For that reason, a narrow 1-0 Oldham win is worth considering and priced at a tantalising 15/2.

Huddersfield and Preston are two other sides who were both in League One last season (Match Betting – Preston 15/8, draw 12/5, Huddersfield 11/8), but the Terriers grabbed the final promotion spot following a dramatic penalty shoot-out win against Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley in May.

It wasn’t too long ago that Preston were a Championship side pushing for promotion to the top flight, but a turbulent few seasons both on and off the pitch saw them go through four managers in five years, drop into League One and finish in a lowly 15th last season.

Manager Graham Westley, who replaced Phil Brown in February, has attempted to revamp the squad over the summer, bringing in 13 new players. This ‘new-look’ Preston may have enough to cause a surprise, given Town will be without several key players due to international call-ups.

One of those players is prolific striker Jordan Rhodes, who scored 40 goals last season and has been linked with a summer move to Premier League.

However, the jury is still out on Westley and Preston and the far more settled Huddersfield squad should have enough to progress in this one. A 2-0 Town win is priced at 10/1.

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San Marino (66/1 in Match Betting) are the biggest price on the Totesport international football coupon and, with their 42-match losing streak stretching back to 2004, that looks like a fair assesment of their chances against the World Cup finalists Holland (1/100, Draw 16/1) in Eindhoven.

The tiny principality have improved their home form under Italian coach Giampaolo Mazza recently, going down 1-0 to the visiting Romanian side last month, but their away form still looks rotten – leaving them ripe for a spanking by the Dutch.

San Marino last their two most recent away European Championship qualifiers to Finland and Hungary by the same scoreline 8-0 and, prior to that, were beaten 6-0 by Sweden. A repeat of that mauling is on offer at 8/1 in the Correct Score market.

Luxembourg have also stopped shipping goals at home, although they remain weak on their travels which makes this week’s home clash with low-scoring Romania ripe for a 1-0 away win on the Correct Score front (6/1).

Victor Piturca’s side have scored three goals in their last eight away matches and will surely settle for a solitary goal win at the Stade Josy Barthel.

Liechtenstein are fast-earning a reputation for no longer being among the chief whipping boys of Europe. They almost ended Craig Levein’s Scotland career before it began when the Tartan Army needed a stoppage time Stephen McManus winner to take a 2-1 home win last year and they have won twice since then – away to San Marino and at home against Friday’s opponents Lithuania.

Liechtenstein are too big at 14/1 to record an unlikely double over their group rivals but a safer bet may be for them to hold off the home side until the second half (4/1 Draw/Lithuania in HT/FT).

Andorra, similarly, are no mugs but lack the firepower to seriously trouble better opponents like Armenia this Friday. However with the draw a tasty 5/1 with Totesport, they may be good enough to stop the visitors from claiming all three points at the tiny Estadi Comunal.

Turkey’s home record is good enough to frighten anyone, let alone the minnows they come up against the form of Kazakhstan.

Guus Hiddink’s side have won six and drawn one of their last seven home matches, which includes good wins over Belgium, Romania and the Czech Republic.

But Kazakhstan escaped with only a 4-0 defeat at the hands of a strong-looking German outfit in March and may be in the mood to frustrate a better side again. Turkey 2-0 (11/2) and 3-0 (5/1) look like the most likely scorelines to support in the Correct Score market for this one.

Cyprus and Portugal played out a 4-4 thriller in a coupon-busting Euro 2012 qualifying clash a year ago, but can the minnows go one better and beat Cristiano Ronalo and co on home soil?

The fact that Ronaldo did not play that night in Guimaraes may have had something to do with the result, but clearly the Cypriot attack caused problems for the home defence and they should do again.

Portugal to win 4-1 is on offer at 8/1 while a 5-1 win is a juicy 28/1 – how can you ignore that when Ronaldo remains one of the most potent attackers on the planet – yet the Portuguese defence has conceded five goals in their last four away matches.

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Newcastle United

We picks out the best rants and raves from this Saturday’s topsy-turvy action.

The magic of the Cup has been in short supply in recent years but it was back with a vengeance as the Premier League lost four clubs to lower league opposition, while another three face tricky replays before they can start thinking about the fourth round.

Easily the biggest shock of the day came at Broadhall Way where League Two side Stevenage (1500/1 FA Cup outright) took revenge on Newcastle after a 13-year wait.

In 1998 then non-league Stevenage took Newcastle to a replay before narrowly losing at St James’ Park.

However, there was no need for a replay this time around after Boro produced the performance of the day with a 3-1 win over the Toon.

Newcastle never got to grips with the youngest team in the Football League and after the match, Pardew was forced to eat humble pie, blaming the Christmas fixture list for their lacklustre performance.

“I can only say we are sorry for the result and for the performance because it was the performance level which was the problem tonight,” said Pardew.

“We were running on empty. It’s been such a tough sequence of games. The team was a shadow of the team which played at Wigan and West Ham. Our energy level just couldn’t match theirs. In both boxes we got dominated. The team looked tired.”

Pardew wasn’t the only boss looking for an excuse to explain his team’s defeat, with North-East rivals Sunderland (7/2 top six finish) forced to explain themselves after a 2-1 defeat to Notts County at home.

The Stadium of Light has been a fortress for the Black Cats this season, with just one team having previously won there before the League One Magpies came calling.

Notts showed the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal how to do it and after the full time whistle, Bruce lashed out at his side, slamming them for their under-par performance.

“Certainly by looking at what we have just witnessed today with six or seven missing, we simply aren’t good enough,” said Bruce.

“With six or seven (out), we simply couldn’t handle it, so that’s the disappointing thing for me.”

Middlesbrough completed a miserable day for the North-East as they were also embarrassed by League Two Burton Albion, the Brewers coming from a goal down to snatch the tie 2-1 in the last minute.

Joining the North-East sides on the FA Cup scrapheap will be West Brom after they slumped to a sixth straight defeat as they lost 1-0 at Reading (9/2 to be promoted).

The Baggies looked more at home against Championship opposition than they have done against the Premier League sides in recent weeks and they could be heading back there if results don’t improve soon.

Blackpool were also dumped out unceremoniously by League One Southampton, although with the Seasiders fielding a team made up of youth players, it might have been a shock had the Saints not gone through.

The trio of top flight clubs who hung on to their FA Cup status by their finger nails were Arsenal (6/1 FA Cup outright), Wolves (80/1) and Stoke (50/1) after their respective draws with Leeds, Doncaster and Cardiff.

Quote of the day came from QPR manager Neil Warnock after he launched an astonishing attack on the man everyone loves to hate, El Hadji Diouf.

The Senegalese international hasn’t made many friends in football and didn’t do himself any favours during Blackburn’s 1-0 win over QPR, apparently calling Jamie Mackie a ‘disgrace’ after he suffered a serious injury.

X-rays later revealed Mackie had broken bones in his leg and Warnock chose not to mince his words when talking about Diouf.

“I think for many years he’s been the ‘gutter’ type of boy. I was going to call him a sewer rat, but that might insult the sewer rats. I think he’s the lowest of the low,” said Warnock.

“I can’t see him being at Blackburn much longer because I can’t see Steve Kean putting up with someone like that in the dressing room when he’s creating a new image.

“I think he’ll be the first to go. Good riddance. I hope he goes abroad. I won’t miss watching him. Sign him? I wouldn’t want to talk to him.”

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Football Conference North

The Motormen survived a barrage of pressure at Victoria Park to earn a goalless draw in their first round encounter and will now look to use home advantage to see off Mick Wadsworth’s men at Rivacre Park.

Pools arrive on the back of an impressive 3-1 home win against League One leaders Brighton on Saturday but Vauxhall Motors could sneak through after extra time (5/2 the draw 90 Minutes).

Staying with Brighton they face a tricky test at Conference South outfit Woking in their replay following a goalless draw at the Withdean Stadium on November 6.

Both sides had their chances in the first game, but Seagulls boss Gus Poyet will demand the right response to their defeat at Hartlepool and they should come through the tie with a win (Brighton 8/13 90 Minutes).

In another replay which sees a non-league side aim to dispose of a bigger boy from the Football League you get the feeling Conference South strugglers Dartford missed their opportunity to claim the scalp of League Two high-fliers Port Vale when John McCombe’s late effort cancelled out Darts skipper Elliott Bradbrook’s opener.

Darts boss Tommy Burman admitted it was the best his side had played all season against Vale, who will use their home advantage to progress to round two with ease (7/1 Port Vale 3-0 Correct Score).

The Galpharm Stadium sees fifth-placed League One outfit Huddersfield look to bounce back from Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Oldham by seeing off Conference Premier side Cambridge United after being held to a 0-0 draw in the initial tie.

Lee Clark’s Terriers were guilty of spurning several chances in that game and it is hard to believe they will let the U’s off the hook for a second time on Tuesday evening (Huddesfield 2/7 to win in 90 Minutes).

Conference Premier side Fleetwood Town were denied a place in the second round for the second time in their history when Walsall’s veteran goalkeeper Jimmy Walker produced a magnificent performance to keep the 10-man Saddlers in the initial tie after Ryan McGivern was sent off.

Fleetwood’s Steve McNulty also missed a penalty in that game which ended 1-1.

And, while the feeling is that Fleetwood missed their opportunity, there is a good chance they could pose a real threat in the replay at the Banks’ Stadium (3/1 Fleetwood to win 90 Minutes), while there should be goals in the encounter (3/4 Yes Both Teams To Score).

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