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Sport

FA Cup fourth round draw: Gillingham have been drawn away to Championship side Swansea City

By: Luke Cawdell lcawdell@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 21:30, 07 January 2019

Updated: 22:16, 07 January 2019

Gills manager Steve Lovell has been handed a dream draw in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Lovell, a former Welsh international, will be taking the Gills to Swansea, the City he was born and raised in.

Prior to the draw the Gills boss said it would be "brilliant" if he could draw the Swans in the next round.

Gillingham boss Steve Lovell. Picture: Ady Kerry

He got his wish as his side were the second side out of the bag during the live draw on BBC1.

Speaking after the weekend win over Cardiff City, Lovell said: “I would love to go back there and play against them. That would be brilliant.

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“My dad used to take me to the Vetch Field years ago when I was a kid.

"That’s my first taste of professional football, I saw some great games and I played a few under Terry Yorath on loan.

“I nearly signed for them before I came to Gillingham.

“I was due to sign on the Monday and Keith Peacock rang me on the Sunday to come and sign for Gillingham.

“I went to school and grew up in Swansea, I have fond memories there and that would be special.”

Gillingham won through to the fourth round for the first time since 2004 after beating Premier League Cardiff City 1-0 at Priestfield.

Elliott List fires in the winner against Cardiff City Picture: Ady Kerry

That game was settled thanks to Elliott List's late strike, the forward dedicating the winning goal to his mum.

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Gillingham had narrowly avoided being on the wrong end of a giantkilling themselves in the opening two rounds.

They needed a replay, a last-gasp penalty and extra-time to see off non-league Hartlepool before edging past part-timers Slough in the second round.

Gillingham's best run in the FA Cup came in 2000, when they beat two Premier League sides on the way to a quarter-final meeting with Chelsea.

The Gills beat Bradford and Sheffield Wednesday that year before losing 5-0 at Stamford Bridge to Gianluca Vialli's star-studded side, a game watched by 7,000 travelling fans.

Fourth round ties are due to take place over the weekend of January 26.

Before that Gills' under-18s are in FA Youth Cup fourth round action at Priestfield on Friday night. Their game against Ipswich Town kicks off at 7pm.

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