Hebburn manager Paul Bennett is aiming for 1 in 100 when the second division club go to Gateshead in a local derby for a place in the first round proper of the FA Cup.

Hebburn have captured the imagination with a magnificent run to this stage from the early qualifying rounds, and they are probably the lowest ranked club left in the competition, and one step away from the Football League big boys.

Bennett has personally watched Gateshead lose 3-2 in the Conference to Southport and also scrutinised a dvd of them in action, and he said: “We’ve got plenty of information on them. 99 times out of 100, Gateshead will beat us, but we’re aiming for that 1 in 100. It could be today.

“We’ve spotted one or two weaknesses, but whether we can get the ball is another matter! Hopefully we can keep them quiet for the first 15 or 20 minutes, and who knows what might happen after that.

“Hopefully, the players won’t freeze. Some of our players have played at a much higher level than the second division of the Northern League – players like Jamie McGlen and Stuart Nicholson for example have played in the Premiership -- and they’ll be a calming influence in the changing room.

“We will approach the game in the right way , which is why we used a hotel before the game. The idea has worked very well in previous rounds when we beat Runcorn Linnets and Radcliffe Borough, and we felt that it gave us an extra edge.”

Cup fever has certainly come to Hebburn, and just to add some extra flavour to the game, it is being shown on the FA website. “The town is buzzing at the moment, and we think that there’ll be over a thousand at the game. Gateshead had 800 for a midweek game not so long ago, and with Newcastle not playing, then we think there’ll be a few more than that, especially with the following we’ll take. It’s a good game for the neutrals to take in – and let’s hope that it is a good one for us to take part in.”

The route to the third qualifying round: Extra preliminary round: Gillford Park (a) 2-1 (Gardiner, Tate).

Preliminary round: Whitehaven (h) 2-2 (Stephenson 2) (a) 4-2 (Wright 2, Tate, Stephenson).

1st Qualifying round: Penrith (h) 2-0 (McBryde 2).

2nd Qualifying round: Runcorn Linnets (h) 1-0 (McBryde).

3rd Qualifying round: Radcliffe Borough (a) 4-2 (Gardiner 2, D Nicholson, McBryde).