LANCASTER City and Morecambe are just 90 minutes from the magic of the FA Cup first round, but both both face potential banana skins in Saturday's final qualifying round.
Lancaster host Vauxhall Motors, and will hope to repeat their 2-0 victory over the Ellesmere Port side from earlier in the season.
However, City boss Tony Hesketh admits that the result flattered his side last time round, and believes that Saturday's fixture will be a tough affair.
Such is the importance of the FA Cup to the Giant Axe club, injury worries prompted Hesketh to leave most of his first team players out of Wednesday's Unibond League Challenge Cup final at Stalybridge.
Morecambe face one of the lowest ranking sides in the tournament, with a game against Harrogate Railways
Railways aren't even the biggest club in Harrogate, never mind the competition, but with the Shrimps currently suffering an appalling run of form, and a recent record of losing to lower ranking opposition, the nerves will be jangling on Saturday.
But, if all goes well, the likes of Stoke City, QPR and Huddersfield Town could all be waiting in mid-November.
Both Morecambe and last year's finalists Lancaster City will sit out the first round of the Marsden Lancashire Trophy after being given byes.
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