SWANSEA CITY pulled out a Premiership plum last night when they were paired with West Ham United and local boy John Hartson in the FA Cup.

This was the first time for a dozen seasons that Wales’s three Nationwide League clubs had been in the same third-round draw – and it left Cardiff City and Wrexham with genuine ambitions of progressing via home ties against lowlier opposition.

But Swansea were smiling more than any after being handed a money-spinning trip to East London on January 2.

“It’s a great draw and it’s going to be a fantastic experience for us,” said Swansea manager John Hollins, whose past battles with West Ham as a Chelsea player include a 5-5 Boxing Day draw at Upton Park.

“There’ll probably be 35,000 spectators at the game, and they’ve got some excellent players.

“It’s not as if you can plan to stop someone in a certain position, because they’ve got stars all over the pitch.” Among household names in the West Ham line-up is Winchwen-born Wales striker Hartson, a passionate Swansea City supporter.

Hollins said, “I’m sure John’s delighted by the draw. I hope they make him captain for the day.

“If not, perhaps I’ll ring Harry Redknapp (West Ham manager) and see if we can sign him on loan for the game!”

Cardiff City’s reward for reaching the third round for the second successive season was a tie at the opposite end of the scale to glamorous West Ham.

SWANSEA City are banking on strong vocal support to give them an edge when they attempt to join the big guns in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Despite the fact that second-round opponents Stoke will be backed by around 2,000 supporters at Vetch Field, Swansea are confident that they will be drowned out by twice as many on the popular North Bank.

‘‘We know we are going to have the majority support and we’ve got to make the most of it and really make it count in our favour,’’ said Alan Curtis. Swansea’s assistant manager, in the side that won at Stoke in 1981 to go top of the old First Division, insists that players respond to crowd support.

‘‘As a former player I know what it’s like to play in front of big crowds. It gives everyone a lift. What we have to remember is that Stoke will get a lift from seeing so many of their own fans there and it’s up to us to keep them quiet as we did against Millwall in the last round,’’ said Curtis.

‘‘All the reports we have suggest that Stoke are the best side in the Second Division. They are top because they deserve to be so we have to get that slow start out of the system because it’s going to be difficult to come from behind against better class opposition,’’ he added.

Swansea could be in line for a Sky bonanza if Saturday’s tie, which is not all-ticket, goes to a replay. That could be screened live, and there are certain to be highlights at the very least, after Swansea agreed to bring forward any second match 24 hours to Tuesday, December 15. If a replay was screened live Swansea stand to collect £75,000. Even highlights would net the club £18,000.

‘‘Stoke asked us to move the agreed replay date after being contacted by Sky and it’s obviously to our benefit to agree,’’ explained Swansea secretary Vicki Townsend.

Midfielders Jonathan Coates (ankle) and Damian Lacey (foot) came through a friendly at Afan Lido last night and are set to continue their comeback at Haverfordwest next Wednesday. Striker Dave O’Gorman, wanted by League of Wales side TNS, got Swansea’s goal in the 1-1 draw at Port Talbot.

STEVE WATKIN is back in the running to face former club Wrexham at Vetch Field tonight (7.15) with two immediate Swansea City targets.

The striker who was forced out of the long haul to Hartlepool is eager to prove his recovery from a jarred knee and to help negotiate his club's progress into the quarter-finals of the BBC sponsored tournament.

In Watkin's absence two-goal match-winner Julian Alsop continued his rich vein of form and there were appearances as well for Aidan Newhouse and Tony Bird.

The only question facing manager John Hollins is whether to throw Watkin in from the start or keep him in reserve now that he has all four forwards competing for places.

The fact that Swansea have selected their strongest available squad suggests Hollins will not juggle too much with personnel or tinker with tactics as much as he has in previous rounds of the competition.

It did not work at Barry a fortnight ago, but Swansea go into tonight's final qualifier having won 2-0 at The Racecourse in October and with an impressive record which points to better performances against teams from a higher division.

"This is a very important competition which we want to win and think we are capable of winning said Hollins.

"Wrexham have started to pick up since we beat them so we will have to be at our best to do it again. If we are not we could have a nasty surprise," added the manager.

Although wins over Barry and Caernarfon in recent weeks have revived Wrexham's hopes of retaining the trophy, Brian Flynn's team have been hit by a spate of injuries which rule out Brian Carey, Peter Ward, Terry Cooke and Kevin Russell while Dave Brammer is suspended. Gareth Owen is expected to return to midfield while Ian Rush, a second-half substitute in the 1-0 win over Notts County, should start.

A point would be enough to secure Swansea's place in the last eight while a win would give them a fighting chance of topping the group although Barry, with two games against Caernarfon, remain favourites.

In such a tight group, it is not inconceivable that with the two highest third-placed teams also qualifying all three leading Group B clubs could go through.

JOHN Hollins switched the emphasis to three different cup competitions today insisting that Swansea City must continue to build on the first unbeaten League month under his management.

''It is no good just having one good month. We've got to follow that up through December,'' said the Swansea manager.

Swansea start a busy month with a run of four home matches, beginning with Wrexham's visit to Vetch Field tomorrow in the FAW Premier Cup (7.15). A point will clinch Swansea's place in the quarter-finals, a win would put them in line to top the group.

That will be followed by Stoke's visit in the FA Cup on Saturday, an Auto Windscreens Shield fixture against Barnet tomorrow week before Swansea return to League action against Rochdale on December 12.

It is Swansea's improving League form which has put Hollins in line for his first managerial award after steering the club to within six points of the play-off places. During November, Swansea collected 10 points from four Third Division matches, including 2-1 victories over Cardiff and at Plymouth and Hartlepool on Saturday where two second-half goals from Julian Alsop clinched maximum points.

''We came from behind again, but if we have a wobbly at times we always look capable of coming back. We showed great resilience and once we had scored two set-piece goals they never looked like coming back,'' said Hollins.

The Swansea manager pinpointed the improving form of Richie Appleby, the aerial threat of Alsop and the sharpness of second-half substitute Tony Bird as key elements in the 2-1 win, Swansea's seventh at the Victoria Ground.

Top scorer Steve Watkin missed that match and Swansea will run a fitness check on his knee problem before deciding whether he plays against his old club tomorrow night.