Hartlepool United have been drawn away to Northern Premier League Premier Division side Gainsborough Trinity in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup.

Pools will make the trip to Lincolnshire on the weekend of October 11-12 as they look to advance to the first round proper for the first time in three years. Gainsborough, who finished seventh last season, booked their place in the fourth qualifying round by beating Dunston UTS on Saturday.

Pools have mixed memories of England's most historic cup competition in recent years. They reached the fourth round in the 2021/22 season under Graeme Lee, setting up a memorable trip to Premier League Crystal Palace. In each of the last two years, however, Pools have been knocked out in the fourth qualifying round, the only two occasions they've exited the competition at that stage in their entire history. Last season's defeat to eventual National League North champions Brackley was one of the low points of a miserable start to the 2024/25 campaign and spelled the end for manager Darren Sarll, who was sacked after Pools lost their replay 3-1 in Staffordshire. While it's unlikely a premature FA Cup exit would spell the end for current boss Simon Grayson, he'll no doubt be hoping to engineer more success in the competition than many of his predecessors have managed.