Billericay Town and Canvey Island have both been handed tough clashes with Nationwide Conference outfits in the third round of the FA Umbro Trophy.

While Billericay will host their first-ever meeting with former League outfit Hereford United on January 15, Gulls must again travel with their destination being Surrey side Sutton United.

Billericay's visitors, who dropped out of the League two years ago, are enjoying a fabulous season in the FA Cup and, after a great 1-0 home win over Third Division Hartlepool in front of a 4,914 crowd, now host Premiership Leicester City on Saturday week.

The match will undoubtedly be the biggest staged at New Lodge in recent times and Town boss Gary Calder agreed: "It's a very interesting draw.

"With the game not due until mid-January I shall have plenty of opportunity to see them in action before we meet."

Both Billericay and Ryman League Premier Division rivals Canvey had solid victories away to lesser opposition in the shape of Yate Town and Uxbridge respectively to ensure a place in the last 64 of the Trophy on Saturday.

Gulls will certainly not go to Sutton, who won promotion to the Conference from the Ryman Premier at the end of last season, with any thoughts of just making up the numbers.

At the same third round stage last season, Canvey went to the previous season's Trophy winners Cheltenham and gave the side who now play in the Nationwide League a real fright before bowing out to an injury-time goal.

Said King: "Obviously it's a very tough tie for us, but with no disrespect to Sutton they are not of the same calibre as Cheltenham.

"We played Sutton in our early days as a Ryman side a couple of years ago and were beaten at home after drawing at their place."

Both Sutton and Hereford only came into the Trophy at Saturday's second round stage.

The Surrey outfit had an excellent 5-2 win at Salisbury, but Hereford, perhaps with FA Cup thoughts on their minds, struggled to beat Ryman Division One Barton Rovers 1-0.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.