The magic of the FA Cup Third Round descends on Priestfield again this weekend as Gillingham look to cause a huge upset.

The Hammers from the East End (three times winners of the famous old Trophy) head for Kent (accompanied by the cameras of BT Sport) as Steve Evans resurgent side look to make their home form count.

Yes, top flight clubs have been to Priestfield at this stage of the competition before and some like Cardiff City twelve months ago have left with their tails well and truly between their legs.  Some have escaped – Aston Villa for one on the last occasion the TV cameras showed a game from Round Three live from Priestfield.

On that occasion Simeon Jackson’s wonder strike look to have caused an upset before Ashley Young “fell over” in the Gills area to steal a deserved replay from Mark Stimson’s side – and there is a genuine belief around Priestfield from supporters and players alike, that this Sunday could be another glorious day for the Gills.

All the ingredients are there – the Premier League side have gone out to lower League sides in each of the last two seasons (Wigan two years ago before losing 4-2 at AFC Wimbledon in front of the BT Sport cameras twelve months ago).

The fact that the rejuvenated home side are currently flying – unbeaten at home in two months (conceding just twice in eight games) as a new manager takes a new look side up the League One table heading towards the Play Offs gives cause for optimism.

The Championship is the only place that these two sides have ever met competitively, four times in two seasons – 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 – and West Ham won three of those four, but the solitary win for the Gills came in September 2003 – Marlon King’s free-kick and Trevor Benjamin’s late second won the game for Andy Hessenthaler’s side.

That, however, was nearly sixteen and a half years ago, and whilst the two sides have spent most of the intervening years two divisions apart, Sunday’s tie really does pose so many questions for the Hammers new “old” boss David Moyes. 

Yet for Gills boss Steve Evans, it’s comfortably the biggest test thus far of his ever improving side and because they go into the game in such great form at home base in particular, and on paper at least, pose an established Premier League side so many questions. It has all of the classic ingredients of a potential cup upset.

After a terrific Christmas and eight points from the four games, Gillingham will go into the game all but at full strength – Mark Byrne the only definite absentee – and with the “additional” 24 hours recovery time from New Years Day’s titanic draw with Portsmouth, Evans will be looking for a virtually sold-out Priestfield to cheer the Gills into Round Four for a second successive year.

When the draw first brought the two sides together, it was thought in many circles that the tie could see the end of Manuel Pellegrini’s reign at West Ham club if the Gills could produce a surprise!  But Pellegrini’s time has already come and in the hot seat come Sunday will be the man Pellegrini replaced – Moyes – back in the hot-seat, and he will be hoping for a repeat of that the 4-0 win over AFC Bournemouth on New Years Day.

Everyone will tell you that the FA Cup is a great competition but is it “great enough” for Moyes not to use it as a game to get minutes into his squad’s legs especially as the Hammers are just two points in front of the Premier League’s drop zone.

The Hammers have a massive month ahead of them with home games to come against both Merseyside clubs and trips to Sheffield United and Leicester City.  Twelve months ago, Cardiff’s boss Neil Warnock made eight changes and we all know what happened next…