Peter Jackson and 1,200 travelling fans will need no reminding of the only previous knockout meeting between Town and Stockport County.

Anyone who was there from this side of the Pennines, in fact, is hardly likely to forget it.

It took place at Edgeley Park on March 1, 1994, and Town scored a stunning 1-0 victory in the Autoglass Trophy northern semi-final.

Why was Iain Dunn's winner and Town's heroic performance so significant?

Well, it marked the turning point in a season of struggle for Neil Warnock's side and they never looked back.

Not only did they avoid relegation in what was Warnock's first season at the helm, but they went on to Wembley for the first time in 56 years in the Autoglass final and returned there a year later to win promotion in the play-offs.

Neil Warnock during his time at Huddersfield Town where he won the 1995 Football League Second Division Play-Off Final.
Neil Warnock during his time at Huddersfield Town where he won the 1995 Football League Second Division Play-Off Final.

That night in Stockport was the start of it all, against a team who had been runners up in the Autoglass for the previous two seasons and who were powerful contenders for promotion at the time.

Stockport had cruelly ripped Town to shreds in Division II on their own patch only 11 days earlier, winning 3-0 and totally overpowering the Leeds Road men.

No-one fancied Town in the Autoglass, especially as the Saturday before the tie they were humbled 3-1 at home by fellow strugglers Brighton and were left sixth from bottom of the table, with four of the teams below them having games in hand.

It looked bleak, but Warnock made seven changes, got Jackson and John Whitney back from injury and stunned the home contingent in a crowd of 4,980 with a magical performance.

My match report of the time read like this:

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Town's thrilling performance was memorable enough but the celebrations were something special.

Darren Bullock jigged the length of the pitch, goalscorer Iain Dunn was lifted shoulder high and goalkeeper Steve Francis happily carried anyone with the energy to hitch a ride.

Last to arrive in front of the sea of emotion that was 1,200 delirious supporters was skipper Peter Jackson.

Dragging his weary, patched-up body through a string of Stockport handshakes, Jackson was greeted in jubilant triumph and sealed the occasion by kissing the town scarf which draped from his clenched-fist salute.

It was a gesture which symbolised the passion of a performance with which even Stockport - big, aggressive and so used to winning - simply couldn't cope.

Andy Booth's performance up front was described as `truly heroic,' but he was matched all the way by Richard Logan, stationed just in front of the defence as the most solid of midfield anchormen.

Logan gave Stockport's giants a real bruising, bravely repelling the best of Mike Flynn's long throws and playing a key role in the clean sheet. Logan, of course, went on to score for Town in the Wembley final and he later starred there for Warnock in Plymouth's play-off win.

For the record, Town's winning team at Stockport was: Steve Francis, Graham Mitchell, Chris Billy, Phil Robinson, John Whitney, Peter Jackson, Richard Logan, Darren Bullock, Andy Booth, Iain Dunn, Phil Starbuck.

The unused substitutes were Iffy Onuora, Jon Dyson and Kevin Blackwell.

If this Saturday holds half as much excitement as 1994, then Town's fans are in for a treat.