By Matt Lawton
September 23 2005

RMI embark on the FA Cup trail this coming Saturday when they make the long trip to Durham to face Chester-le-Street Town in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the football world's greatest knock-out competition. With RMI enterting the cup before the 4th Qualifying Round for the first time since 1999, you could forgive the club and team if they were a little downbeat, but instead an optimistic mood of cup fever is spreading through Hilton Park, something that can only be helped by RMI's largest travelling support for a long while set to attend the game, with a 33-seater coach filled by the Supporters Club. To those who are used to following football at a higher scale, it may not seem much, but thanks to the sterling efforts of several of RMI's board of directors, RMI will have their largest backing away from home for quite some time.

Leigh go in to the game on the back of three games without victory, though they will fancy their chances against a side currently in mid-table of the Northern League (the North East equivalent of the North West Counties League) who have already been knocked out of one cup competition following their 2-0 defeat to Glasshoughton in the FA Vase.

After winning at Curzon Ashton in the previous round, Town certainly won't be pushovers but with £3,750 on offer to the winner, with the potential of a bigger increase in turnover and support with a cup run, RMI can't afford to take Saturday's game too lightly.

Anybody for Fulham in the third round?