Dereham Town will welcome Norwich City U21s to Aldiss Park for the next round of the Norfolk Senior Cup on January 30. 

Dereham will face the Canaries after beating Mundford 3-1 in the previous round. The visitors boast a wealth of international talent amongst their ranks, which Dereham will need to be prepared for.

Whilst Norwich possesses quality across the pitch, two men in particular who Dereham will need to be extra wary of are Brazilian midfielder Pedro Lima and striker Ken Aboh.

Lima made the switch to Norfolk in the summer of 2023 on loan from Brazilian giants Palmeiras and has become a mainstay in Alan Neilson’s side. 

The 20-year-old operates as part of a midfield three and contributes at the top end of the pitch, scoring a couple of excellent long-range strikes in recent fixtures. The most notable was a scintillating left-footed strike into the top right-hand corner in the Canaries 3-4 home defeat against Wolves.

Aboh has had a real breakthrough couple of years in the academy, and currently boasts an impressive nine goals in 11 appearances in the PL2. A powerful centre forward who can finish well with both feet, Aboh will prove difficult to contain for the Dereham centre-halves.

The fixture may prove to be a reunion of sorts for Harry Pitcher, the full-back might be facing up against some possible previous teammates during his years in the academy setup at Norwich.

A cup scalp against the Canaries could be the perfect springboard for Tom Parke’s Magpies going into a pivotal stage of the second half of the season. With the long-term aim of promotion back up to step four at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

A packed-out Aldiss Park under the lights could be the perfect environment for Dereham to create a special night for all the loyal supporters who have been excellent in following their side once again this season.