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December, the time for bitterly cold football fans to stand on the terraces essentially twice a week, with a beer, tea or Bovril willing their respective teams on to win games.
The first weekend of the month sees the FA Trophy Third Round come along, the ‘Premier’ Non-League cup competition where all clubs know a special trip to Wembley could be on the cards.
The third round this year has thrown up plenty of mouthwatering local derbies, intriguing ties and more. We look at the three standouts.
Just twenty miles separate the two Essex sides, with Southend United of the National League visiting the Brentwood Center Arena to take on Isthmian North Outfit Brentwood Town.
Three divisions separate the sides, with Brentwood sitting 7th and two points outside the Isthmian North Playoffs and Southend sitting 14th, two leagues higher in the Vanarama National League.
Finally, it looks like the Shrimpers well documented financial problems may, at long last be behind them, with Justin Rees named as the new chairman of the club in the summer after a fairly turmoil-ridden few years since dropping down to the Non-League pyramid.
On the pitch, last season's Player of the Season Gus Scott-Morriss has once again started like a house on fire in 24/25, with the 27-year-old full-back having recently clocked over 100 appearances for the club in his three seasons at Roots Hall.
This season, he is the club's top scorer, with nine goals to his name, and the Brentwood defence will be wary of his all-action displays up and down the right flank.
As for the hosts, Kai Brown, who seems to have found his home after a difficult start to the season at Cheshunt, has settled into Brentwood blue brilliantly, with an impressive six goals in his last seven matches in all competitions, including a hat trick in a 4-0 win over Gorleston last month, with this Essex Derby one of our standout ties.
We head up north for our next standout tie with just seventeen miles separating National League side Altrincham and Northern Premier Side, Macclesfield.
The Cheshire Derby is once again renewed for the first time since Macclesfield’s reformation, with the National League hosts sitting ninth and just three points shy of a play-off place as they start their FA Trophy Campaign.
Macclesfield have played three matches to get to this stage already, with plenty of drama across the ninety minutes in each encounter.
Their third qualifying round tie, an away trip to City of Liverpool saw three second-half goals from Justin Johnson and a Danny Elliott double. This kick-started the Silkmens FA Trophy adventure back in October, with Ashton United going down 7-1 in a barnstorming result for the Silkmen in the First Round on the eve of Halloween.
The Second Round beckoned and a trip to Curzon Ashton, with the visitors eventually coming through via a penalty shootout to seal a place in Round Three, setting up a tie with Altrincham. Robbie Savage will be hoping his side can take derby day bragging rights at the home of the Robins in what promises to be a memorable encounter.
This tie may not get much attention, but there's some intrigue in former Premier League side Oldham Athletic visiting Stockton Town of the Northern Premier.
The Teeside club are riding high after a drama-ridden few years, with an appearance in the FA Vase final in 2017-2018 before gaining two promotions in three years. Last seasons promotion came via the Playoffs to reach the Northern Premier Division, where they currently sit sixth, just one point outside the playoff places. To reach this stage, the club have beaten Blyth Spartans, Newton Aycliffe and Scarborough Athletic to reach the Third Round.
Oldham, on the other hand, a bit like Southend, have had some well-documented off-field troubles, which led to them slipping out of the Football League in 2021/22 for the first time in their history.
Furthermore, they suffered cup heartbreak last weekend, leading League 1 side Leyton Orient until added time, when loanee Spurs keeper Josh Keeley headed home for The Os to take the tie to extra time, where another late sucker punch in the form of a 120th minute Orient winner broke Latics Hearts.
Their adoring faithful will no doubt be travelling in their numbers to roar on Oldham in what should be a game that epitomises the FA Trophy.
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