Anon

Leon Osman
Former Everton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

Maidstone have been playing against teams a few leagues above, but there seems to be a carefree intent from this team, they just seem to go at it every game.

They are full of confidence in the FA Cup, you need a bit of luck obviously, but they are riding a wave of confidence.

They will be thoroughly looking forward to heading to Ipswich today.

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2002! I hadn't realised it had been quite that long.

Ipswich have won their last two FA Cup matches against non-league opponents, beating Bracknell Town 4-0 and Buxton 3-0, last going out to a non-league side in a third round replay against Lincoln in 2016-17.

Town are having a fine season in the Championship too of course, currently lying in second place as they eye a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002.

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If you are of a certain vintage you may well remember when Maidstone were in the Football League and the absolute scandal when they went bust.

They were in the Fourth Division (now League Two) play-offs in 1990 but by the start of the Premier League in 1992-3 the club had just two players on the books and folded.

Are they on their way back?

"Non-league sides aren't supposed to be here," says Maidstone United captain Gavin Hoyte.

Separated by almost 100 places in the English football pyramid, Maidstone's incredible journey takes them to Portman Road this lunchtime to face Premier League promotion chasers - and former cup winners - Ipswich Town in round four.

The National League South side will take a 4,000-strong army of fans from Kent to Suffolk looking to reach the last 16 in the world's oldest cup competition.

"Someone said to us the other day that 730 clubs began [the competition] and there are 32 left, so it's a big thing," former Arsenal defender Hoyte, 33, told BBC Radio Kent.

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"There's life outside of the Premier League and EFL and we can still be successful, there are some very good players in the non-league system so it's a good chance to showcase ourselves against a very good side.

"We're taking 4,000 fans with us and I'm sure we're going to hear them.

"They're going to give us that extra boost that will be needed."

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Speaking of former winners, Ipswich Town are one of of 44 sides to have lifted the famous FA Cup trophy in their history, Roger Osborne the match winner against Arsenal in 1978.

Scenes.

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That's quite a season ticket seat isn't it?

It's 29 years since Everton won their fifth FA Cup. Can they march on with a victory this afternoon?

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Maidstone are managed by George Elokobi, who played 12 matches in the FA Cup proper between 2008 and 2019. Elokobi never featured in the fifth round as a player.

He's on Football Focus now with Aaron McLean and the two have previous!

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For the first time in their history, Maidstone United have reached the FA Cup fourth round.

This will be their first ever game against a side from within the top two tiers of English football. The last team to win their first match in the competition against a side from the top-two leagues was Kidderminster Harriers in January 1994 against Birmingham City.

Basically I'm all about a 3-3 draw.

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Let's have a lovely Saturday trip down memory lane together then - I want to hear about your first FA Cup final, and your favourite!

I'll start us off - my first was a ripper, as Crystal Palace and Manchester United battled to a 3-3 draw back in 1990...

Favourite? Liverpool v West Ham was pretty impressive wasn't it?

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It was all square in the all-Championship clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry.

Victor Torp scored a screamer on his debut in English football for Coventry, before Djeidi Gassama's leveller for the Owls.

Bristol City and Nottingham Forest both went to an FA Cup replay for the second round in a row.

Last night's goalless draw at Ashton Gate wasn't a classic.

Nathan Ake scored a late winner as FA Cup holders Manchester City beat Tottenham.

The defender pounced after Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario failed to hold Kevin de Bruyne's corner under pressure from Ruben Dias.

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Ipswich Town make 10 changes from the side that drew 1-1 with fellow promotion-chasers Leicester City on Monday, with only centre-back George Edmundson keeping his place.

Among the changes include starts for young wingers Omari Hutchinson and Jeremy Sarmiento, on loan from Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion respectively.

Maidstone, who are captained by former Arsenal academy graduate Gavin Hoyte, make five changes from the side that draw 1-1 with Braintree Town on Tuesday night.

Ipswich Town: Walton; Ball, Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Humphreys; Taylor, Morsy; Hutchinson, Aluko, Sarmiento; Broadhead

Subs: Slicker, Clarke, Woolfenden, Davis, Burns, Travis, Harness, Chaplin, Buabo

Maidstone United: Covolan, Hoyte, Fowler, Appiah, Kyprianou, Berkeley-Agyepong, Corne, Reynolds, Bone, Duku, Sole

Subs: Greenidge, Earle, Ezennolim, Court, Smith, Gurung, Iandolo

Chelsea and Aston Villa played out a goalless draw yesterday.

Douglas Luiz had a goal ruled out by the VAR for Villa, with Cole Palmer missing a few chances for the Blues.

Bournemouth smashed Swansea 5-0 in Thursday's first FA Cup fourth-round tie.

All the scoring was done in the first half.

Image source, Getty Images

Nathan Ake's late goal gave Manchester City their first victory in six visits to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a place in the FA Cup fifth round in the pick of last night's games.

Elsewhere it was draw central, meaning some more games to squeeze into the calendars in the form of replays...

Bristol City 0-0 Nottingham Forest

Chelsea 0-0 Aston Villa

Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Coventry

Tottenham 0-1 Man City

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United's trip to League Two Newport County on Sunday afternoon is one of three games which will be televised live on the BBC this weekend.

National League South side Maidstone's game at Ipswich and Blackburn v Wrexham will also be shown on the BBC.

All 16 games will be broadcast live on either BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio or BBC Radio Wales.

Check out the schedule here.