Who is the lowest ranked team still in the 2023/24 FA Cup?

It is the query that will get requested all through the FA Cup each single 12 months.

The bottom-ranked remaining staff within the FA Cup, in no matter spherical, at all times has a particular highlight shone on them. Golf equipment ideally need to be drawn towards them and concurrently virtually everybody else needs to see them win their subsequent recreation.

As England’s well-known home competitors progresses, the lowest-ranked staff tends to get knocked out and a brand new underdog takes centre stage, till invariably one of many huge groups wins the event. It’s not at all times that straightforward, and maybe this would be the 12 months when a non-league facet will get to Wembley.

For the third spherical of the 2023/24 FA Cup, Maidstone United are the most important underdogs left nonetheless standing. They play within the Nationwide League South, the sixth tier of English soccer.

Having reached the third spherical, Maidstone United have already loved their greatest FA Cup run since 1987. In each 1983/84 and 1986/87, they reached the identical stage however had been overwhelmed by Darlington after which Watford.

Since then, Maidstone have made it to the second spherical on 5 completely different events, the newest being the 2019/20 season the place Blackpool beat them 3-1. The change in high quality of opponents might be stark within the second spherical and that’s the place so lots of the final non-league groups are eradicated.

As a Nationwide League South facet, Maidstone United’s FA Cup journey began in September within the second qualifying spherical. They had been away at Steyning City to start with and comfortably gained that recreation 4-1.

That arrange one other away journey within the third qualifying spherical, this time towards Winchester Metropolis. In addition they cruised by way of that conflict, profitable 2-0 on the finish of September. Torquay United had been subsequent, with a spot within the first spherical correct on the road. One other 2-0 away win arrange yet one more away tie towards Chesham United, which additionally ended 2-0 to Maidstone.

Attending to the second spherical inevitably got here with a recreation towards a facet at the least one division up they usually ended up being drawn at dwelling to Barrow, presently fourth in League Two. There’s a huge hole between the 2 sides, however a 74th-minute winner from Bivesh Gurung ensured a 2-1 win and a spot within the third spherical.

Every time a non-league staff makes it to the third spherical of the FA Cup, there are blended emotions about who they need to need to face.

A televised tie towards one of many greatest Premier League groups generally is a monetary blessing, however there may even be the need for a winnable tie so the staff can go one spherical additional, the place there may be one other likelihood to face an enormous facet.

Whereas Maidstone are nonetheless actually the underdogs of their third-round tie, they’ve gone down the latter route as they may host Stevenage, who’re presently seventh in League One.

Being at house is a lift for Maidstone however they’re enjoying a staff two divisions above them and it might be a disgrace to exit with out attending to face a Premier League staff.

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