ONLY Bournemouth stand in the way of an FA Cup reunion former Blackburn Rovers striker Graham Fenton must have thought impossible a few weeks ago.

When Rovers were drawn away to either Bournemouth or Blyth in the third round on Sunday, it created intrigue at Ewood and bedlam at a Leicestershire hotel.

There, Blyth - on their way back to the north east after Saturday’s 0-0 draw on the south coast - celebrated after the carrot of Premier League opposition had been dangled in front of them.

The Blue Square North side still have work to do - even though Bournemouth go into the December 16 replay at Croft Park in the League Two relegation zone and still reeling from a recent 3-0 defeat at Accrington Stanley.

But, having spent the last five years off the football radar at Blyth, a tie against Rovers on would represent something of a comeback for Fenton, now 34 and combining a battle with injuries as a player with a role as assistant manager.

The possibility of the tie being moved 10 miles down the road to St James’ Park would also be no bad thing for a boyhood Newcastle fan.

“A tie against Blackburn would be excellent for me,” said Fenton, an unused substitute in Blyth’s ties against league opposition this year.

“I think there’s only David Dunn there now from when I was there, but I have mates in the area and if we get through against Bournemouth they’re going to come up and stay with me for the weekend.

“It would be great for the whole club and I’m sure it would be for Bournemouth too.

“It would set us up for a couple of years and raise funds for players to hopefully help us get into the Conference.

“We would get a great crowd, it would be a 5,000 sell-out and it would be a great atmosphere if it was played at Croft Park.

“There has been talk about it being played at St James’ Park and we could get maybe 15 or 20,000 there.

“Bournemouth will be a tough game. But we can get through.”

Ask a Rovers fan for their abiding memory of Fenton’s two years in a Blackburn shirt and most will point to his late brace against Newcastle in April 1996.

They earned Ray Harford's side a 2-1 home win but also virtually ended Newcastle’s hopes of the Premier League title they came so close to winning under Kevin Keegan.

One would expect him to regard that as one of the finest moments of the career.

But, when he is quoted as saying he will ‘take it to the grave with him’ because of the abuse he still receives for scoring against his boyhood club, it becomes clear that – like the rest of his Rovers career – it is something of a bittersweet memory.

“I enjoyed my time at Blackburn but it was just frustrating,” he said.

“I played some games and I thought I did well but I had a few injuries and I just couldn’t force my way past the SAS into the team.

“When Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton were fit they were always going to play and there was Kevin Gallacher, Paul Warhurst and Mike Newell - and then Martin Dahlin was brought in towards the end.

“But I enjoyed working with Ray Harford, who was an excellent coach.

“Obviously people remember me for the Newcastle game but I enjoyed all the goals I scored there. Scoring at Forest was one.

“In the Newcastle game I only got on in the last 10 or 11 minutes and straight away David Batty scored for Newcastle, so I was thinking it was a bad substitution!

“It was good to get the goals but I had a bit of a bad time afterwards with some idiot Newcastle fans, which was not nice.

“I was getting things through the post and when I went back to the north east people were having a go.

“And if I’d scored goals like that every week, I wouldn’t have to work now.”

Fenton, signed from Aston Villa, moved on to Leicester before dropping down the divisions with Walsall, Stoke, Blackpool and Darlington as well as a trip over the border to St Mirren.

His love for football waned and the death of his father prompted him to move back to the north east to join Blyth in 2003.

The former England Under 21 international is currently considering training to become a physiotherapist and has not ruled out stepping up to become a manager, although only if he does not have to relocate.

“I could have played for lower league clubs down south but I decided I didn’t want to do that,” he said.

“If I was to go into management it would be in non-league in the north east or it would have to be with someone like Darlington or Carlisle.

“But this is my fourth year as assistant manager and I’ve enjoyed it.

“I’ve been trying to keep fit so I can play as well but it has just been injury after injury at the moment.”

As well as their name - giving them the sort of curiosity value in Greece that Stenhousemuir garner in England - the mention of Blyth Spartans evokes images of cup upsets from days gone by.

They beat First Division Stoke in the fourth round in 1978 and have defeated several league sides since then, including Shrewsbury in this year’s first round.

Despite that, they currently languish in the Blue Square North relegation zone and are not always so fearsome against lesser teams.

“The first game of the cup run was probably the hardest, Whitby away,” recalled Fenton. “They were winning and we only equalised in the last 10 minutes.”

Given their cup pedigree, though, could Blyth give Rovers a run for their money if they get past Bournemouth?

“It would depend on what team Paul Ince put out,” said Fenton.

“I’m sure the chairman would be expecting, even if he fields a strong team, that we can turn them over. But that might be a bit too much to expect of the lads.

“There’s a reason why they’re playing in the Premier League and we’re in the Conference North!”

* Blackburn’s FA Cup third round tie at Blyth or Bournemouth will be on Monday January 5, and shown live on Setanta.