Live updates from Tranmere v Chichester City in the FA Cup

Chichester City's big day - in fact their biggest day - is here.
Chi City fans welcome the team outside Prenton ParkChi City fans welcome the team outside Prenton Park
Chi City fans welcome the team outside Prenton Park

They are on Merseyside to take on League One Tranmere in the second round of the FA Cup - and players and fans are out to savour every moment.

Supporters gave the team and management a raucous welcome when they arrived at Prenton Park just after 1pm.

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Nearly 500 Chi fans are expected - well over the number they attract to home games.

Tranmere play five divisions above City, who have won through six qualifying rounds of the cup and had a first round bye to reach this stage for the first time in their history.

The Chi City players and coaching staff were straight out on to the lovely-looking Prenton Park pitch - bathed in sunshine on a cold and frosty day on the Wirral - after arriving as fans started making their way from the bars to their seats at the away end.

As the away end filled up it became obvious the City fans were going to make themselves heard and enjoy their day win, lose or draw.

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Here's how City line-up - the big news is that striker Scott Jones has decided not to go surfing and is in the XI. It's an attacking line-up with Kaleem Haitham, Gicu Iordache and Josh Clack the attack-minded trio who will be up to support Jones.

Chi City: Mowthorpe, Davidson, R Hutchings, Cody, Heath, Clack, Horncastle, Jones, Rowlatt, Haitham, Iordache. Subs - Bennetts, Axell, Peake, Wild, Dunn, Biggs, Ender.

City have won praise from Tranmere boss Micky Mellon for their run so far.

He says in today's programme the club 'deserve huge credit' for coming through six qualifying rounds' and for all the players have done for the club. But he adds ominously: "Of course we are fully focused on ending that run today and putting ourselves into the hat for the third round."

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The game was being shown live on BT Sport - something that earned City £75,000 - to add to the £82,000 prize money they have earned from getting through six rounds plus a first round bye.

City chairman Andy Bell was interviewed live pre-match by Lynsey Hipgrave as the broadcaster took the Chi City story into living rooms across the country.

Some messages of good luck came into us pre-match for Chi - here are a selection.

Steve Cornell-Davis - Play Up City, City Play Up!!! Come on you Lillywhites!!!!

Andi Saunders - Go City, bring it home

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Scott Slater - All the best Chichester I will be watching from @rocks1883 clubhouse

Mark Dunford - Good luck to @ChiCityFC today #FACup (I just want to appear in @stevebone1's live blog!)

We'll have updates here throughout the afternoon - follow @stevenbone1 on Twitter for more as well.