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The draw is to be made tonight, but Blyth Spartans have already been told they will face Chelsea in the FA Cup third round.

The Evo-Stik Northern Premier League side’s run was mapped out for them in a bizarre encounter.

Blyth beat Darlington after a replay in the first qualifying round and the scores of all four subsequent victories were correctly predicted by an old lady in the Skelmersdale United car park in September, who claimed they would face Jose Mourinho’s side in round three.

It is the oddest element in the sort of FA Cup fairytale Spartans have built their reputation on.

“I tell everybody and nobody believes me, but I told (general manager) Ian Evans about it at the time,” insisted Blyth manager Tom Wade. “An old woman came up to me in the car park, and she told us the results would be 4-1, 2-1, 4-3, 2-1 and Chelsea. So she’s been right on all four results. I thought I might have dreamt it – I had a couple of beers that night.

“She said it would be 2-1 and you’ll get Chelsea in the next round. If that happens I’ll pack in gracefully – play the game and then just pack in. I wish she had given me six numbers between one and 49 as well!”

Friday’s 2-1 win at Hartlepool United had enough romance to last a season.

Wade saw his team come from behind to win 2-1 through Jarrett Rivers’ 90th-minute strike.

It was set up by former Hartlepool player Stephen Turnbull, who equalised Jonathan Franks’ goal. Earlier, Hartlepool thought they had gone 2-1 up but the linesman ruled that their former season-ticket holder Peter Jeffries clawed Marlon Harewood’s shot back when it was on, not over, the line.

Their first visit to the North East this season saw Chelsea draw 0-0 at Sunderland, their second ended in defeat at Newcastle on Saturday. Will the Blues be at Croft Park next?