Match Preview

After falling at the first hurdle in the FA Cup, Deeping will be looking to make progress in the FA Vase, the other competition that offers a chance to make it to Wembley.

The same applies to today's visitors Loughborough Students, who exited the Cup to higher division Grantham Town.

The Students were red hot in 2022/2023 finishing 3rd in the UCL Premier Division North beating Deeping heavily along the way.

In the previous season they reached the semi finals of this competition before losing out to Littlehampton Town one step short of making the trip to London.

They are based at the Loughborough University stadium and have been in existence for 103 years, having been founded in 1920. The team has spent spells in various competitions such as the Midland Combination and Midland Alliance winning a fair amount of silverware along the way.

John Duncan is a famous ex-Manager of the Students, a coach famous for his own FA Cup exploits with Chesterfield who were only knocked out by Middlesborough after the famous goal that launched the England career of Kevin Davies.

A league restructure in 2019 saw the team move across into the UCL where they remain to this day.

Looking through the key ex-players of Loughborough Students brings up the name of another ex-Wembley hero. If today's side needs some inspiration they can get it from ex-Wimbledon crazy gang star Lawrie Sanchez who scored the winner against Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final.