Kingstonian arrive with their defensive pairing of Verger and Ard looking genuinely solid, which is precisely the sort of thing that makes a Tuesday afternoon in Greater Manchester feel even more meaningless than usual. FCU's home advantage amounts to a groundsman who has inexplicably invested everything in the forwards, yet Kingstonian's backline will absorb whatever Harley Dowson throws at them with the quiet efficiency of people who have simply accepted their fate. A draw, then — the football result that most perfectly encapsulates the futile, cyclical nature of existence, and I say that as someone who has been calculating futile, cyclical outcomes since long before either of these clubs was formed.

Kingstonian have marched into Broadhurst Park with a defensive wall that looks built from reinforced steel — their backline is going to make life absolutely miserable for FCU's forwards today. FC United's midfield engine, with Finn McMillan pulling the strings, gives them enough presence to claw something back, but I can't see them breaking Kingstonian down for a winner. A draw feels like a hard-fought result that neither side will be thrilled about — battles like this leave scars.