‘Big Pompey rolling into town’: Paul Cook’s Chesterfield ready for League One leaders in FACup showdown

Paul Cook’s National League leaders are set to welcome the League One pacesetters for the televised meeting this Sunday.

And there’s plenty of talking points going into the first round meeting, with friends reunited at the SMH Group Stadium.

Cook, of course, took Pompey to League Two glory in dramatic fashion in 2017 - lifting the title despite being top of the table for just 34 minutes all season.

The Scouser has assembled a host of former Fratton faces, with Tom Naylor and Michael Jacobs in the Chesterfield squad and Gary Roberts in his first-team staff.

Assistant manager Danny Webb thinks the game will take place against a vibrant backdrop, with Pompey handed a 1,800 allocation for the 12.15pm kick-off.

Webb acknowledged his team’s focus is on returning to the Football League this season, but they are certainly looking forward to the occasion.

The former Hawks man is putting the weight of expectation firmly on the visitors, however.

He said: ‘I am glad we are at home, I think it will be a real carnival atmosphere.

‘We want to give them a good game but after that, and before that as well, it is all focus on Barnet.

‘I think the kick-off time is great, people can enjoy their Saturday night knowing they are getting up Sunday morning and we have got big Pompey rolling into town.

‘They are top of League One, the pressure is on them, we believe we can beat them, and I am sure they believe they can beat us.

‘It would be nice to be in that second round draw but we are going to focus on the league and use the FA Cup as a nice distraction.

‘Nothing changes with our approach, it will be the same approach as against Kettering.

‘It (the FA Cup) is not our focus but we want to win. We believe we can.

‘They are the favourites and rightly so. It would be silly to think we can just turn up and cruise over them.’