IF Wycombe Wanderers want to beat Leicester in the FA Cup on Saturday, they might consider playing The Star's sandwich lady Karen up front.

For Karen has been really on the ball of late with this paper's readers and has scored a couple of great coups in recent months.

And now it even seems she is more popular than the Blues players.

It all started when I thought it would be a bit of a joke to offer grub from her trolley as quirky prizes in my Editor's Chair competitions.

Karen kindly donated a small carrot cake a few weeks ago as a lure to get people to take part in my contest, based on a complicated brainteaser.

Amazingly, we had loads of entries, despite the meagreness of the prize.

I even got messages of thanks for the cake from the winner.

I recall having similar success stories in the past with a chocolate bar and a flapjack from Karen's larder.

Compare this, however, to what happened two weeks ago when I put up a ball, autographed by Wycombe Wanderers players, as first prize.

The prize was superb and the question was even quite easy. I asked readers to come up with a list of six people from all of history whom they would like to invite to an imaginary dinner party.

Sadly, not one reader came for the ball, leaving me with the biggest Cinderella of a contest in all my time as editor.

So, what has Karen got that Wycombe's players haven't?

And can we play her in attack now the club's strikers are all injured? She'd have the entire Leicester defence running for cover with just one whiff of her deadly coronation chicken sarnie.

I'm now going to auction the slightly deflated but still incredibly worthy football off for charity at the first available opportunity. Star readers are welcome to make a bid for it, and I'll donate the cash to cancer research.

Ring our newsdesk on (01494) 755081 if you want to buy the ball.

On a more serious note, good luck to the Blues in the quarter final on Saturday. Lawrie Sanchez has done a marvellous job and the club deserves to reach the semis. My prediction? Wycombe will take the match to a replay and then win.