He might not be around for the tie, but Town’s Matt Crooks will be going all out to help Accrington Stanley seal a dream FA Cup third-round clash at home to Manchester United.
That’s the mouth-watering prize on offer for the winners of the second-round replay at Yeovil Town on Tuesday.
But the United showdown, whether at Accrington or Yeovil, has been fixed for Sunday, January 4, the day after Crooks’ loan ends.
The versatile 20-year-old featured in the original 1-1 draw at the Crown Ground and made his fourth outing for Accrington as Portsmouth were beaten 3-2 at Fratton Park on Saturday.
It’s a second loan spell of the season for Crooks, who made his sole Town appearance as a centre-back in the opening-day 4-0 Championship home defeat by Bournemouth.
The academy product who originally emerged as a midfielder featured three times for League II Hartlepool in October and November, the first of his games a 3-1 defeat at Accrington.
He was on the bench for Hartlepool’s FA Cup first-round home win over East Thurrock, but avoided becoming cup-tied because he was not brought on.
Crooks has been playing up front for Accrington, who are 11th in League II, with Yeovil 21st in League I after their 4-0 win at Oldham Athletic on Saturday.
Accrington’s squad includes former Town junior player Josh Windass.
But ex-Town coach Paul Stephenson, who had been assistant manager, left Stanley last week.
The 46-year-old, who worked under Lee Clark at Town, joined Stanley after Leam Richardson became boss in 2012 and remained on the coaching staff under James Beattie, then Coleman.
Ex-Hartlepool boss Stephenson also acted as caretaker manager on two occasions.
Elsewhere tonight, there are cup replays between Chester and Barnsley, Luton Town and Bury, Mansfield Town and Cambridge United, Rochdale and Aldershot Town and Tranmere Rovers and Oxford United.
It’s Worcester City versus Scunthorpe United on Wedbnesday.
It was a positive weekend for one of Town's other loaned-out players as Jon Stead helped Bradford City to a 1-0 win at Chesterfield to lift the Bantams to within a point of the play-offs.
Stead headed over from six yards out early on and was unable to add to his four goals since returning to Valley Parade but Billy Clarke struck a spectacular second-half winner to see off the 10-man Spireites, who had Sam Morsy sent off for catching Andy Halliday with an arm.
Town's other loanee Jake Carroll was not in the Partick Thistle matchday 18, but the Jags secured a stunning 4-0 win at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who were previously unbeaten at home in 2014/2015.
