Joey Barton will not take Guiseley lightly as FA Cup clash is selected for TV coverage

Fleetwood Town boss Joey Barton has praised Guiseley after it was announced that their FA Cup second round meeting has been chosen for live TV coverage
Fleetwood Town manager Joey Barton watches onFleetwood Town manager Joey Barton watches on
Fleetwood Town manager Joey Barton watches on

The match will take place on Monday, December 3 (8pm) and will be shown on BT Sport 1.

Guiseley have already staged one giantkilling so far, knocking League Two side Cambridge United out with a 4-3 win last weekend.

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Town dispatched the Lions’ fellow National League North side Alfreton Town on Sunday with a 4-1 win at the Impact Arena.

It might be another non-league team on the horizon but Barton (pictured) will treat them with the same respect that he would a League One side as Town anticipate a difficult evening at Nethermoor.

He said: “It is how you approach it.

“They have come off the back of beating Cambridge.

“It is a game that, if someone offered you an opportunity to get into the third round, then you would like to be at home – which we are not, which makes it a bit more complex than I would like it – and then you would like to play a side preferably from the divisions below you.

“They have done ever so well to get there.

“I imagine they will give a good account of themselves at home and we will have a tricky tie.

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“You have got to navigate them with the utmost respect to the opposition.

“They are there on merit, not by default.”

However, the Cup is not Barton’s immediate target with Town facing a long trip to Plymouth Argyle inbetween home matches against Walsall and Coventry City.

“We have got a lot more games before that; then we will focus on them,” Barton said.

“We will give them the same amount of respect to a team that we would play in the league.

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“It will be a good occasion but we have a lot of football games to win before we play in the FA Cup.”

The first of those matches on Saturday when Walsall make the trip to Highbury in League One.

Town full-back Eddie Clarke may well be a doubt after coming off with an injury during Tuesday’s Checkatrade Trophy meeting against Bury.

Barton said: “I think he just sprinted and he will be assessed.

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“I’m not a physio but it did look like he pulled up with a bit of a tweak in his hamstring.

“It is part and parcel of the game, and when you are as explosive as Eddie, you run the risk of that.

“I’m disappointed for the lad because I felt he was growing nicely into the game.”