Boss Jansen aiming for a well overdue FA Cup run

Players celebrate with goal scorer Jason Walker after taking the lead against North Ferriby

The Magpies last reached the FA Cup first round proper in 1990 and boss Matt Jansen is determined to see his men end the club’s wait.

On Saturday, they face NPL Premier Division outfit Stalybridge Celtic away in the second round of qualifying.

He said: “It is important financially for the club.

“We have not managed to get into the first round proper in a while and so that is a target.

“But first things first we have to get past Stalybridge.

“They have started the season strongly but we are going there looking to progress to the next round because we want to have a cup run.

“Hopefully we can follow in the footsteps of Lincoln and Sutton and make an impact in the cup.

“It would be a great experience, the lads know how important a cup run would be for the club so we are going there focused and hoping to make some history.”

While Jansen and his team are looking forward to the cup encounter, they will be putting that very much to the back of their minds this evening.

The Magpies have an important league fixture away at Blyth Spartans and are looking to maintain the momentum they have built up over the past couple of weeks.

After a slow start which garnered just one win from their opening seven league games, the Magpies have picked up three wins on the spin against York, Darlington and North Ferriby respectively – scoring eight goals in the process.

Importantly, they have also only conceded one goal from their last five games,

Jansen said: “It’s three wins in a row, but also we have kept four clean sheets in our last five games. We have gone back to the basics and we are once again difficult to beat.

“We needed to get back to what we are good at.

“Once again we are compact and we have had a more defensive mindset. We then try to play our football in the opposition half, get the ball forward and move up the pitch as a unit – and it works.”

Jansen also pointed to the signing of attacking midfielder Nick Haughton on loan from Fleetwood as one of the main reasons behind their greater goal threat.

“The signing of Nick Haughton has helped us get some more goals.

“He has helped in terms of his creativity, a striker is only as good as the service he gets and with the improved service we have been scoring more.

“We had back-to-back home games so we played with an attacking midfielder rather than a holding player and the goals have flowed.

“Nick is shaping up to be a good signing so far, I’m pleased with the way he has started – long may it continue.

“But it is not just about Nick it is about the team and this side are a talented and determined bunch.

“We just need to keep striving for more and keep this momentum up.”