ESPN ANNOUNCES FA CUP SECOND ROUND TELEVISED MATCHES
ESPN to broadcast two live fixtures, as Alfreton Town take on Leyton Orient and Cheltenham Town face Hereford United
ESPN will have live television coverage of the FA Cup Second Round proper with two exclusive games around the first weekend of December. The action starts on Sunday 2nd December with Alfreton Town v Leyton Orient at 2:30pm, and is followed on Monday 3rd December by Cheltenham Town’s visit to Hereford United at 7:15pm.
ESPN open their coverage of the FA Cup Second Round with a trip to Derbyshire and the North Street ground as Alfreton Town host League One’s Leyton Orient. The Blue Square Premier side overcame fellow conference side Wrexham 4-2 in Round One thanks to a couple of late goals from Ben Tomlinson. Leyton Orient had to wait for their First Round tie due to bad weather – facing a tricky trip to Gloucester City, the Os left it late to secure a 2-0 away win.
The sports media company’s second live game comes from Whaddon Road as Hereford United take the short journey south to take on Cheltenham Town. Hereford played another local rival in the previous round as they beat Shrewsbury Town 3-1 to progress. League Two’s Cheltenham eased past Southern League side Yate Town in Round One, 3-0, with goals coming from Thomas, Mohamed and Zebroski.
Andrew Hornett, senior executive producer, ESPN, said: “In the last round we sure saw some amazing results on ESPN as Dorchester upset the odds to knock Plymouth out of this year’s competition, as well as the 4-3 extra-time thriller between AFC Wimbledon and York City. As clubs from the lower divisions edge ever closer to a potential tie against a team from the Barclays Premier League, the pressure is sure to intensify and we’re delighted to be able to bring these stories from the grassroots of English football to football fans around the UK.”
ESPN will broadcast 25 live and exclusive FA Cup matches this season, from the First Round through to the Final, ensuring fans won’t miss any of the competition’s unique drama and storylines. As well as selected replays through the tournament, the sports media company will televise two matches in the first two rounds, three matches from the third to fifth rounds, two quarter-finals, one semi-final and the FA Cup Final.
ESPN.co.uk, ESPN’s news and information portal, will offer football fans in the UK online coverage of the FA Cup including special features. ESPNFC.com, ESPN’s new multi-platform, multi-language and multi-country global football brand, will provide live scores and match reports, plus access to a network of bloggers. Both sites will also offer video highlights of selected FA Cup matches. On mobile, fans can access all of the best content from ESPN.co.uk via the mobile web, and, from ESPNFC.com via a dedicated mobile app.
| FA Cup First Round | |||
| Sunday 2nd December | |||
| 14:30 |
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FA Cup Live – Second Round – Alfreton Town v Leyton Orient
Alfreton Town currently lie in mid-table in the Blue Square Premier, but Nicky Law’s side have saved their best form for the FA Cup this season. They host Leyton Orient, who are struggling in the lower reaches of Npower League One. The Os have made a name for themselves in the FA Cup recently, notably holding Arsenal to a 0-0 draw in 2011. |
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| Monday 3rd December | |||
| 19:15 |
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FA Cup Live – Second Round – Cheltenham Town v Hereford United
Both these sides were in Npower League Two last year, but had vastly different fortunes. Whereas Cheltenham narrowly missed out on promotion through the playoffs, Hereford United were relegated back into the Blue Square Premier after seven years in the football league. Hereford have a giant-killing history in the FA Cup however, and a win over high-flying Cheltenham would certainly upset the odds. |
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