Scunthorpe preview.

FA Cup 3rd round day. Steeped in history and tradition as the 'minnows' get to rub shoulders with the 'big boys'. The day that dreams are fulfilled and legends and folklore is created.
And today, we host a lower league club whilst in the middle of not a crisis, but what could be described as a 'sticky patch' and in desperate need for a morale boosting win ahead of next weeks derby (not to mention to actually try and have a cup run of note this season).

There is not too much history between the sides and the only previous home game against Scunthorpe resulted in a 8-1 win for City back in 1963/4.

Scunthorpe are currently 17th in League one and have not won in their last four games and have shipped forty-five goals so far. I must confess I don't know a great deal about their side apart from having former Blue Peter Beagrie on the books, but Beagrie himself was praising their youthful strikeforce of Billy Sharp and Andy Keogh earlier this week.

I can't see Stuart Pearce taking the opportunity to rest any of the squad due to the importance of this game both in the short and long term prospects for this season. Sibierski maybe expected back, but Reyna and Mills are still absentees.

Given the fact that we are at home (despite a low anticipated crowd), I cannot see an upset being caused. Looking around at a few of the online betting sites and other predictions, most seem to be plumping for 2-0 to City, but I can't help thinking that we will undoubtedly make hard work of it in some way.

Prediction : City 2 Scunthorpe 1.