Blyth Spartans boss Tom Wade: 'We need Birmingham City to have a bad day'

Blyth Spartans boss Tom Wade has admitted that his side will need Birmingham City to have an "off day" in their third-round clash of the FA Cup.

The Spartans defeated Conference Premier side Altrincham and North-East rivals Hartlepool to set up the clash with the Blues at Croft Park, but Wade has conceded that the gulf in quality between his men and the Championship outfit could be too much to overcome.

"We need Birmingham to have a bad day and us to be absolutely superb," Wade told BBC Sport.

"We played Altrincham at home, I know they're not a Championship side but they're a good Conference side, nobody gave us any chance at all and we battered them.

"If we can put that kind of game on this Saturday, Birmingham have a bit of an off day, we carry a bit of luck and get the right refereeing decisions, we've got an outside chance."

The Northern Premier League side's best performance in the FA Cup came in 1978 when they reached the fifth round of the competition.