Warrington looking to write FA Cup romance against Exeter

Peter Reid’s brother Shaun shall be plotting the downfall of Exeter City, odds-on 2/5 favourites with Coral to win the opening FA Cup first round fixture, but his Warrington Town team start as 13/2 outsiders to cause an upset.

Unlike their League Cup counterparts, these ties can go to replays, so a 7/2 price on a draw means the Wire would have to go down south and fight for the right to advance again. Warrington hail from Division One North of the Northern Premier League, which is the eighth tier of English football. Their cup run means they have six or seven games in hand.

Paul Tisdale’s Grecians, meanwhile, are two points off a play-off place in League Two and recently won in the northwest at Morecambe 2-0. A repeat scoreline here comes in at 6/1. Exeter academy graduate Tom Nichols has also found recent form, with the striker scoring twice in as many matches, and is a 7/2 chance to keep that run going.

Warrington are 15/4 chances to get two or more goals in this game. Odds for a home win to nil come in at 18/1, while the Wire are 9/1 to keep a clean sheet. The Grecians are naturally shorter in those respective markets at 13/10 and 11/10.

Although they visit Cantilever Park, Exeter must be considered in the handicap market. Give them a two-goal deficit to overturn, and tempting odds of 2/1 are available.

Striker Steve Foster (a 12/1 shot to be on target here) will be a threat leading the Wire’s attack against a Grecians rearguard which contains former Crystal Palace player Danny Butterfield and Christian Ribeiro, twice capped for Wales. Don’t discount right back Lewis Field (33/1) for the hosts either. He netted the winner in the last qualifying round against North Ferriby United.

Ex-Southampton and Leicester City midfielder Matt Oakley (14/1) is a steady presence in the Exeter engine room. Winger Arron Davies (13/2), once of Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, will be expected to deliver from the flanks. If romance is dead, then there’s no looking past Tisdale’s team, but Warrington, as their nickname suggests, will want to take things down to the Wire.