ARGYLE have been handed a home tie with Championship frontrunners Newcastle United in the third round of this season's FA Cup.

Paul Sturrock's struggling Pilgrims will host the promotion hunting Magpies on the weekend of January 2/3, 2010.

Manager Sturrock hailed the home tie – drawn yesterday afternoon – as a bonus to the Green Army over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

But he admitted progressing to the fourth round of the world's most famous domestic cup competition is going to be 'difficult'.

"Getting a home tie was quite important," said Sturrock, whose side's only away game over the festive period is at Cardiff City on Boxing Day.

"We've ended up going out to Premier League teams away from home in the last couple of seasons.

"It'll be nice not to worry about trekking away from Home Park."

Sturrock's side have already played Chris Hughton's Newcastle this season, losing 3-1 at St James' Park on September 19.

"It will be a very difficult game, of course," said Sturrock. "Newcastle are doing very well and look to be on course for a return to the Premier League.

"We were very competitive when we played them at St James' Park earlier in the season and I am sure we will give them plenty to think about again.

"I expect that they will bring a good number of supporters with them, so there should be quite an atmosphere."

In last season's third round, Argyle lost 3-1 at Arsenal in front of nearly 60,000 spectators at the Emirates, while in 2007/08, the Greens went down 2-1 in the fourth round at another Premier League team, Portsmouth.

And, despite an enviable playing and managing career, Sturrock has not enjoyed much cup success in either role.

"I must admit that it would be nice to enjoy a cup run," he said.

"Maybe this will be the year."

Meetings between Argyle and Newcastle in the FA Cup competition are something of a rarity, having been paired up three times before, which resulted in a total of five matches and all in the first phase of the tournament.

Ironically, this term's tie is scheduled to take place just a couple of days short of the the 52nd anniversary of the previous cup clash, at Home Park on January 4, 1958.

Newcastle beat a then Division Three (South) side 6-1 in front of 40,000 fans, while in 1955, at the same venue, Argyle were defeated 1-0. The sides only other previous FA Cup encounter came in the 1904-5 season and needed three attempts to decide the winner, with Newcastle prevailing 2-0 at the neutral venue of Plumstead, in London, after two home and away 1-1 draws.

FA Cup Third Round Draw: Tottenham v Peterborough, Brentford v Doncaster, Middlesbrough v Manchester City, Stoke v York, Notts County v Forest Green Rovers, Huddersfield v West Brom, Sheffield United v Queens Park Rangers, MK Dons v Burnley, Chelsea v Watford, Nottingham Forest v Birmingham, Preston v Colchester, West Ham v Arsenal, Aston Villa v Blackburn, Portsmouth v Coventry, Sunderland v Oxford/Barrow, Wigan v Hull, Everton v Carlisle, Sheffield Wednesday v Crystal Palace, Tranmere/Aldershot v Wolves, Blackpool v Ipswich, Fulham v Swindon, Stockport/Torquay v Brighton, Scunthorpe v Barnsley, Southampton v Rotherham/Luton, Bristol City v Cardiff, Reading v Liverpool, Staines/Millwall v Derby, ARGYLE v Newcastle, Leicester v Swansea, Bolton v Lincoln, Accrington/Barnet v Gillingham, Manchester United v Kettering/ Leeds