PICKERING Town are gearing up for their showpiece pre-season friendly when they host Vanarama National League North outfit Scarborough Athletic at Mill Lane this evening (7:30pm).

The Pikes already have one victory under their belt in their first pre-season friendly under charismatic manager Rudy Funk after beating Whitby-based Fishburn Park 3-2.

Three trialists were on target for the Ryedale outfit, who came out of the blocks firing in the second half to take a 3-0 lead before Park, celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, hit back through Matty Brown and Sam Richardson late on.

Tickets for this evening's fixture, which will see Funk manage against his former employers for the first time, are priced at £5 for adults, whilst under 16s are free.

Pickering have also learned their early-round draws for both this season’s Emirates FA Cup and Isuzu FA Vase as the road to Wembley begins.

Calculated based on their league position and progression in last year’s competitions, they will enter the FA Cup in the Extra Preliminary Round and the Vase in the First Round Qualifying.

The Pikes have been drawn against old foes Seaham Red Star in the FA Cup, and will make the trip to the north east on Saturday, August 5 (3pm).

Seaham, who have a relative good record in the extra preliminary round of the competition, are not new opponents for Rudy Funk’s outfit, with the sides last meeting in the Ebac Northern League as recently as April.

Funk’s side claimed the spoils that evening with a comfortable 2-0 victory.
The winners of the tie will receive £1,125 and the losers £375.

Should Pickering progress into the preliminary round of the competition, they will face a trip to the winner of the tie between Bishop Auckland and Bridlington Town.

Scheduled for Saturday, August 19, a win would provide them with the opportunity to add another £1,400 to their coffers.

A Brad Mills goal within the final minute of the match saw the Pikes to a shock 1-0 triumph over Bishop Auckland in the Northern League in January, with Bridlington Town also a familiar one to Funk, his side scheduled to visit the Hudgell Solicitor’s Stadium in their final pre-season fixture on July 25 (7.30pm).

A narrow 1-0 defeat at Heaton Stannington brought the Ryedale sides’ campaign to an end at the first hurdle last term.

Pickering will begin their FA Vase campaign one week later with a trip to another of their opponents last year, Penrith, on Saturday, August 26.
The Cumbrian outfit finished 14th last season, having won 11 and drawn eight of their 38 matches.

Should they secure their progression to the Second Qualifying Round, the Pikes would face yet another Northern League tie away at division two outfit Ryton & Crawcrook Albion.

Both sides were eliminated at that stage of the competition following their respective defeats to Brandon United and Whitley Bay.