GLASSBOYS boss Gary Hackett said he is devastated that his team’s FA Cup tie against Northampton Town this afternoon was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

The second round match had been due to kick off at 2pm, but referee Andy Davies called off the game after inspecting the pitch just under two hours before kick-off.

A strip of the War Memorial Ground pitch which was covered from the sun by the club’s main stand remained frozen from the overnight chill.

Speaking to the News, Hackett said he was frustrated with the situation. He said: “I’m devastated to be honest. Just very frustrated.

“With all the hard work that has gone into the preparation and unfortunately it hasn’t happened.

“We’re absolutely gutted. The supporters and people travelling from all over to see the game and all the cameras here it’s such a big anti-climax.

“Preparation’s been absolutely brilliant, on and off the pitch, but now unfortunately we don’t get a game at two o’clock.

“You can see everybody here are just devastated.”

The rearranged tie is expected to take place on Tuesday, December 13, subject to TV requirements, with both clubs set to be in the third round draw tomorrow.

Chairman Andy Pountney said he has mixed emotions as it is the first time in the club’s history that they have made it to the third round draw.

“It is disappointing with everybody here, all the excitement and all the preparation we’ve done,” Pountney said.

“It is disappointing that the game didn’t go ahead today, as there’s a lot of hard work gone into it and it’s frustrating that it’s all fell flat.

“We have been mindful of the frost this week, but there isn’t much we can do about it. We haven’t got blowers, we haven’t got under soil heating and we haven’t got covers.

“Weather forecast said it wouldn’t go below freezing and that it’d be five degrees and sunny, but with the heavy frost last night there wasn’t much we could do.

“I asked the referee if we could hold it back an hour, but it was the referee’s decision. He was worried about players’ safety.

“But keep our fingers crossed, the replay might even be a live game, but who knows what’s going to happen and there’s no word on that one yet.

“Something in the back of my head tells me to be happy that we’re in the draw tomorrow night. Let’s take a positive from it, we’re in the hat and there’s something to look to.

“It’s something we’ve never done in the history of the club so something else to look forward to.

“We said all along we want to be in the hat. We’re in the hat and that’s a bonus.”

Hackett said it is too early to even be thinking about the next match, adding: “I don’t think you can think about the replay or the next round at the moment. This is all about a game of football, not about what kind of money you can earn.

“We’re just absolutely gutted.”

The draw for the FA Cup third round is live on BBC Two at 7.10pm tomorrow (Monday, December 5), with Stourbridge and Northampton sharing the number 51 ball.