3rd January 2014
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Yeovil Town are back in action this weekend, but it’s not league points that the Glovers are after, it’s progression in the cup.

The FA Cup hold many, many great memories for Yeovil fans and this Saturday’s home game against Leyton Orient could be the first step to another one.

The 3rd round tie takes place at Huish Park with a 3pm kick off.

However, it’s not just the League One Londoners that the Glovers take on, but Mother Nature is also in the ground staff’s sights.

The Glovers lost their Boxing Day fixture against Watford to the weather, the pitch and surrounding areas unable to take the sheer amount of water, despite the ground staff’s best efforts.

At the time of writing, the pitch is looking good for the game, but supporters are advised to continue to check ytfc.net for information regarding the fixture and their local TV and Radio for updates on travel in and around the area.

It wasn’t just the Glovers who got an extra day off on Boxing Day, but Orient too saw their game against Bristol City called off.

In a funny twist, the four teams involved in those two fixtures swap opponents for the FA Cup, as Bristol City take on Watford. Meaning nobody got an unfair advantage of the extra rest day.

Back to Huish Park and with January’s transfer window up and running there is some updates to the home side’s squad.

Firstly, Liam Fontaine has returned to Bristol City following his loan spell so wont be available, but the Glovers have strengthened their defence by signing Matteo Lanzoni on an 18 months deal.

However, he won’t be involved either due to his participation in an earlier round with his former club Oldham Athletic.

So, it’s a good job that both Everton loanees Shane Duffy and John Lundstram have been given permission to play in the cup, both men signed loan deals for the rest of the season this week.

Further forward and Joe Ralls and Ishmael Miller’s deals have also expired at Huish Park, the news on those two is that, there is no news. Gary Johnson confirming he was waiting on telephone calls from Cardiff and Nottingham Forest respectfully.

News from the injury list is also more positive, the postponment of the Watford game has given Marek Stech, Byron Webster and Ed Upson time extra time to get themselves fit for the action again. It’s hoped that all of them will stand a chance of being involved.

The visitors are also sweating on the fitness of key players; strikers David Mooney and Shaun Batt have both been ruled out while first choice ‘keeper Jamie Jones is also unable to make the squad.

Mooney’s absence will be of great comfort to Yeovil, not only his he scoring with regular frequency but it was his last minute goal that knocked the Glovers out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy last season.

That was the last time the two sides met, as over 700 fans travelled to the Matchroom Stadium for the JPT cup tie.

In the league fixtures it was a win each during last season; Sam Foley scored the consolation in a 4-1 defeat away from home, but a Paddy Madden brace and James Hayter confirmed a 3-0 home win over Russell Slade’s men.

Prior to last season, the Glovers have gone on a run of 2 draws and 2 wins against the Orient, one of those wins was a memorable 5-1 victory, Shaun MacDonald with a hat-trick.

Of course, Saturday’s fixture will match the two managers to take Yeovil to a play-off final, Russell Slade saw his Glovers team defeated by Blackpool in 2007, while Gary Johnson went one better last summer defeating Brentford 2-1.

Slade spent two and a half years ay Huish Park securing the League One manager of the year title in the play-off final year.

This is Yeovil’s first venture into the 3rd round of the cup since 2005. A 3-0 thrashing of Rotherham set up a fourth round tie at Charlton that time.

Of course the season prior, the Glovers hosted former European Cup winners Liverpool to Huish Park, most of us are still seething over Harry Kewell’s dive over Hugo Rodrigues to win a penalty that day!

As for tomorrow, tickets are available on the day as normal, but for those coming down from London the away terrace has been shut due to lack of sales so all away fans will be in the seating section.

So, come along to Huish Park tomorrow as the Glovers look to set another FA Cup run going and revenge that last gasp JPT loss from last season in the process.

If you can’t make it however, stay tuned to Glovers Player, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube (and if you’re lucky a vine and instagram or two) from the official accounts as the cup fever returns to Somerset.

Famous Orient Fans.

Most of the Lloyd-Webber family, especially Julian and Andrew. Comedian Bob Mills and you’d imagine most of the cast of ‘TOWIE’…

A foot in both camps.

Russell Slade, Simon Church, Aaron Brown, 1949 FA Cup hero Les Blizzard, Ryan Dickson, Terrell Forbes, Jerry Gill, Wayne Gray, Paul Terry, Andros Townsend and Marek Stech played two games on loan at Orient before joining the Glovers.