Blyth Spartans boss: Blackburn Rovers match is our big chance

12:10pm Monday 5th January 2009

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BLYTH Spartans manager Harry Dunn has urged his players to grasp a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” when they face Premier League side Blackburn in the FA Cup third round tonight.

The Blue Square North outfit are staring relegation in the face but will step on to the Croft Park pitch knowing they have the chance to become heroes.

It is not the first time the magic of the FA Cup has taken over the town of Blyth – they reached the fifth round of the competition in 1978 before losing in a replay to Wrexham at St James’ Park.

The Blyth players of 31 years ago can look back on their exploits fondly and Dunn wants his players to take that spirit into the game and leave with their heads held high – regardless of the result.

“It has been 31 years since the club and town has been associated with this type of game and the players may never get this chance again,” Dunn said.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go out, do themselves proud and when they go home at the end of the night they can look back and say ‘that’s best I could do, I couldn’t have done any better than that’.

“As long as we go away thinking that way and perform that way then we can be happy with what we’ve done.”

Ged Dalton’s dramatic last-minute strike against Bournemouth in their second-round replay secured Blyth the dream tie against Blackburn and sent Croft Park into pandemonium.

Another partisan crowd will squeeze into the 4,500-capacity ground tonight and Dunn believes it is important for his side to give the fans something to cheer about.

“If we go a couple of goals down in the first 10 minutes, the game will be dead and buried.

"It’s extremely important we keep the crowd with us for as long as possible,” added Dunn.

“I think it will be one of those nights that as long as a Blyth player touches the ball it will get a cheer.”

While Blackburn’s multi-million pound squad have the luxury of training in the best facilities and playing on some of the country’s top pitches – the same certainly cannot be said for Spartans.

Most of the squad will be working on Monday before the match and some will even be going straight from work to play in the game.

The gulf between the two sides could not be greater but Dunn is relishing the opportunity to take on Rovers boss Allardyce.

“It’s going to be exciting for me,” he added. “To manage in the Premier League is the best thing for any manager and it will be nice to meet him and interesting to pit my wits against him.”