Alan Hardy: "We were hoping for a Premier League club"

Notts County owner Alan Hardy has admitted that Brentford away was not an FA Cup third-round draw that he had hoped for.

The Magpies beat League One side Bristol Rovers and non-league Oxford City in the opening two rounds of the competition to go in the hat for the hallowed third round.

However, the hope of getting a bumper tie against a Premier League giant was shattered with the pairing of Notts and the Championship high-flyers in Monday night's draw.

There is nonetheless a belief in the County camp of being able to pull off an upset against the Bees at Griffin Park.

“We were hoping for a Premier League club, but we’re looking forward to it,” Hardy told the Nottingham Post.

“They are a good side, but we will go into it with belief and confidence.

“And we will go there well prepared because the management team will do a very thorough job of looking at their strengths and weaknesses.

“It’s a good opportunity for us to progress to the fourth round.”

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