Leeds boss Jesse Marsch takes wife Kim on a romantic date… to Wham Stadium in Accrington

JESSE MARSCH knows all about the romance of the Cup – even if his wife might disagree.

When Leeds’ boss invited Kim out on a date, little did she expect it would be a wet and windy night at Wham Stadium in Accrington.

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Instead of fine dining and cocktails in a swanky city center brasserie, it was pies and pints in the Pennine foothills.

Ms Marsch was treated to the homely delights of Wham Stadium when Stanley squeezed through the replay against Boreham Wood after extra time to book a visit from the Premier League fighters in the fourth round.

Dining options at Wham include a range of Pukka Pies for £2.80 or even Pot Noodles for £1.80.

Marsch felt a bit guilty for disguising the scouting mission as a romantic meal for two, but insists the welcome from their League One hosts could not have been warmer.

But he expects a less hospitable afternoon as his side try to avoid a giant FA Cup murder.

The American revealed: “I suppose that’s how we coaches manage to find dates. You take your wife to the game.

“We went along and met their owner Andy Holt and general manager Dave Burgess.

“We sat with them and they were both very gracious and welcoming. They are rightly very proud of what they have built there.”

Marsch used his bus man’s date night to gather plenty of inside information on how to avoid a tricky potential banana peel in front of the live TV cameras by stopping Accy from making it to the fifth round for the first time in their history create.

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The 49-year-old has never lost to a lower-league side in his 12-year coaching career.

And he added: “I think it’s always important when you’re playing in a lower league to see what kind of environment and game atmosphere they have.

“Accrington is very proud of their pitch and the crowd creates a good atmosphere. Your team competes hard and you can see that winning is very important to them.

“They appreciate the FA Cup and as a team specialize in set pieces and throw-ins.

“I think they will play a lot of long balls, defend hard and play directly against us.”

Leeds’ only win in their last nine games came in the 5-2 second leg defeat of Cardiff in the third round as they took a welcome break from their struggle for survival in the Premier League.

They are keen to avoid Accrington adding their names to Histon, Rochdale, Sutton and Crawley, all of whom have knocked them out of the Cup in recent years.

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Marsch will make a debut for Georginio Rutter, who is signed for £25m, but skipper Liam Cooper and midfielder Tyler Adams are both expected to be sidelined through injury.

The head coach added: “We will have many traveling fans to support us and we need to be prepared for whatever Accrington throws at us.

“We know that the David vs. Goliath narrative can be very inspiring to outsiders.

“We will not take anything for granted when we step onto this field.

“We have to be ready to play our football, to be in control of the ball and to score goals.

“This is our challenge and we will work towards it.

“We have an opportunity to push in this tournament and we want to take it absolutely seriously.”