The Fishermen ply their trade at the same level as the Cobblers' county neighbours Corby Town in Blue Square North, but they are a club that has much loftier ambitions than that.
Cash has been splashed on a full-time playing staff that includes fo
rmer Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers full-back Alan Wright and former Kettering Town goal machine Gareth Seddon, as well as modernising and upgrading their Highbury Stadium.
There seems little doubt they are going to provide a stern test tomorrow, and Sampson has assured the Cobblers fans the Town players will be focused on the job.
"Fleetwood will want to put one over on us, but it's a big game for us as well and hopefully the players are professional enough to realise that it won't be easy," said the Town boss.
"We've seen big cup upsets in the past and we don't want to be one of them.
"Fleetwood are full-time so they should be fairly fit and they have got one or two ex-pros in their team as well.
"Micky Mellon (former Tranmere Rovers player) is their manager and he knows the league inside out so there is no doubt that it will be a tough game for us."
Sampson has been handed a significant boost ahead of the tie with the return to full fitness of Liam Davis, and the former Coventry City man was quick to echo his manager's warnings about the threat of Fleetwood.
"Tomorrow's game will be as tough as any, and I definitely won't be going into it thinking it is going to be easy," said the left-sided flyer, who looks set to start his first game of the season tomorrow after recovering from a broken bone in his foot.
"It will be a hard game and I will be mentally prepared for that. We know anything can happen and we just need to make sure that we approach the game professionally and treat it as we would any other league game.
"It's going to be a cup final for Fleetwood and we know that it will be a difficult game."
