FA Vase Second Round Preview
Thu 20th November 2014 | General | By Ian Templeman
Eight of our clubs hit the Wembley trail at the weekend in the FA Carlsberg Vase 2nd Round.
We are guaranteed to have at least one club in Monday's draw, with AFC Darwen hosting Chadderton in an all Division One encounter at the WEC Anchor Ground, and our other six clubs all face Northern League opponents.
For AFC Darwen, the Second Round is uncharted territory since the club was reformed, and Chadderton make the trip across to East Lancashire despite losing 2-1 at Dronfield Town in the last round.
In the aftermath of the game, it emerged that the Northern Counties East League club fielded an ineligible player, so they were removed from the competition and Chadderton were reinstated.
The two sides have already met on league business this season, with AFC Darwen running out 6-1 winners when they visited Andrew Street, but both have enjoyed good recent form and a much closer game is likely on Saturday.
It's Chadderton's first appearance in the Second Round since season 1997-98, when they lost 2-1 away to Seaham Red Star, who by coincidence make the trip down from Sunderland to face Atherton Collieries in another of the weekend's ties.
The Northern League Division Two club haven't reached this stage of the competition since season 2007-08 when they lost to Trafford, and whatever else happens on Saturday, it's unlikely that anyone attending Alder House will see a goalless draw, if recent form is any indication.
Colls are, of course, setting a red hot pace at the top of our First Division, haven't scored less than three goals in any league game this season, and are averaging nearly four goals a game in all competitions this season.
However, Seaham are no slouches in the goalscoring department either, sitting joint top of the Northern League Division Two having scored 53 goals in 18 league games. There's little doubt either as to who the main threat is to Colls' hopes of progress in the competition - Red Start striker Sonny Andrews, who has scored 28 goals in 24 games in all competitions this season, eight of those in his side's 12-1 win at Esh Winning in the Vase in October.
Andrews also has "form" in the Vase where the NWCFL is concerned - back in season 2009-10 and playing for Norton and Stockton Ancients, he scored a hat trick at Padiham when Norton came from 2-0 down to win 4-2 after extra time in a Second Round tie, and in the Fifth Round he scored both goals in Norton's 2-0 at New Mills.
Past winners of the competition St Helens Town have a long trip up to the picturesque market town of Alnwick in Northumberland, just 30 miles or so from the Scottish border and home of a famous castle used in the filming of Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder TV series.
Saints will face Northern League Division Two side Alnwick Town, whose last encounter with NWCFL opposition in the Vase was in season 2001-02, when they lost 4-3 at home to Squires Gate in the Second Qualifying Round.
The Northern League Division Two side sit 16th out of 22 clubs in their division, and have lost five of their eleven home league games this season, so Saints will fancy their chances of success from a round trip of 400 miles.
Last season Congleton Town reached the Fourth Round , a performance that meant they were exempt from the early rounds of this season's competition until now. However, they have a tough first game this season against one of the top performers in the Vase in recent years, Whitley Bay.
Bay won the competition three times in a row from 2009 to 2011, the 2009 final of course being a victory over Glossop North End. They still have two players at the club from those days, midfielder Paul Robinson and club captain and star striker Paul Chow.
Chow is a non-league legend in the North East. He scored in all three Vase final wins, his goal against Glossop in 2009 was his 40th of the season, and he made history in the 2010 Vase Final by scoring after only 21 seconds, the fastest goal ever at the new Wembley and the fastest in any Wembley Cup Final.
In the following season he scored in every round of the Vase, including twice at Wembley.
He is now the club’s second top scorer of all time, and clearly hasn't lost his goalscoring touch, with 44 goals last season and 10 so far this season.
However, Bay are perhaps not the force they were, and although Chow is still a goalscoring threat, they have conceded 39 goals in 17 league games so far, and sit in 13th place in the Northern League Division One. So, with home advantage , the Bears will be hoping that Bay's long trip down to Booth Street will not be a fruitful one.
Mention of Whitley Bay will no doubt bring back memories for all associated with Glossop North End, who experienced a trip to the 2009 final at Wembley.
The Hillmen also have a home tie with Ryhope Colliery Welfare, another side from Sunderland, making a trip to the North West. Ryhope have never faced NWCFL opponents in any FA competition, and travel to Surrey Street in good form, having lost just once in their last six games.
But Glossop are in more than handy form themselves, having scored 25 goals and conceding just two in the six games played in November so far, and backed by their usual good home support they will start as firm favourites.
A fascinating tie is in prospect up in County Durham where Shildon host Runcorn Town. Both sides have produced high profile performances and results in the FA Cup this season, and will be looking to reproduce that form in the Vase.
With Runcorn Town having won at Conference North side Barrow in the FA Cup in September, a trip to the North East will hold no fears. However, with Shildon just being edged out of a place in the First Round Proper of the FA Cup by Norton United, they will be keen to make up for that disappointment with some Vase success.
Town can take heart from the fact that in the last round, Shildon were within nine minutes of being knocked out of the competition at Colne, eventually winning 3-2 in extra time, but with Shildon unbeaten at home so far this season, there's no doubt that the visitors face a tough test.
The one Sunday game involving one of our sides sees a club with a long tradition facing new kids on the block.
Bishop Auckland, a club who won the old FA Amateur Cup three times in the 1950s, host 1874 Northwich who are in only their second season of competing in the Vase.
Curiously, each of 1874's previous three ties in the competition this season were played on a Sunday and they make a Vase Sabbath appearance for the fourth time in succession this weekend.
Bishops beat Holker Old Boys 3-0 at Heritage Park in the last round, and on paper it looks like another tough test for a NWCFL club in the North East, but manager Ian Street will no doubt have taken note that Sunday's opponents lost 6-2 at home to Marske United in a league game on Tuesday night.
The game kicks off at 4pm, due to a private function taking place prior to the game.
Good luck to all our clubs in their respective games, and we'll have match reports from all the games on the league website over the weekend.
FA Vase Second Round Preview
Thu 20th November 2014 | General
By Ian Templeman
Eight of our clubs hit the Wembley trail at the weekend in the FA Carlsberg Vase 2nd Round.
We are guaranteed to have at least one club in Monday's draw, with AFC Darwen hosting Chadderton in an all Division One encounter at the WEC Anchor Ground, and our other six clubs all face Northern League opponents.
For AFC Darwen, the Second Round is uncharted territory since the club was reformed, and Chadderton make the trip across to East Lancashire despite losing 2-1 at Dronfield Town in the last round.
In the aftermath of the game, it emerged that the Northern Counties East League club fielded an ineligible player, so they were removed from the competition and Chadderton were reinstated.
The two sides have already met on league business this season, with AFC Darwen running out 6-1 winners when they visited Andrew Street, but both have enjoyed good recent form and a much closer game is likely on Saturday.
It's Chadderton's first appearance in the Second Round since season 1997-98, when they lost 2-1 away to Seaham Red Star, who by coincidence make the trip down from Sunderland to face Atherton Collieries in another of the weekend's ties.
The Northern League Division Two club haven't reached this stage of the competition since season 2007-08 when they lost to Trafford, and whatever else happens on Saturday, it's unlikely that anyone attending Alder House will see a goalless draw, if recent form is any indication.
Colls are, of course, setting a red hot pace at the top of our First Division, haven't scored less than three goals in any league game this season, and are averaging nearly four goals a game in all competitions this season.
However, Seaham are no slouches in the goalscoring department either, sitting joint top of the Northern League Division Two having scored 53 goals in 18 league games. There's little doubt either as to who the main threat is to Colls' hopes of progress in the competition - Red Start striker Sonny Andrews, who has scored 28 goals in 24 games in all competitions this season, eight of those in his side's 12-1 win at Esh Winning in the Vase in October.
Andrews also has "form" in the Vase where the NWCFL is concerned - back in season 2009-10 and playing for Norton and Stockton Ancients, he scored a hat trick at Padiham when Norton came from 2-0 down to win 4-2 after extra time in a Second Round tie, and in the Fifth Round he scored both goals in Norton's 2-0 at New Mills.
Past winners of the competition St Helens Town have a long trip up to the picturesque market town of Alnwick in Northumberland, just 30 miles or so from the Scottish border and home of a famous castle used in the filming of Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder TV series.
Saints will face Northern League Division Two side Alnwick Town, whose last encounter with NWCFL opposition in the Vase was in season 2001-02, when they lost 4-3 at home to Squires Gate in the Second Qualifying Round.
The Northern League Division Two side sit 16th out of 22 clubs in their division, and have lost five of their eleven home league games this season, so Saints will fancy their chances of success from a round trip of 400 miles.
Last season Congleton Town reached the Fourth Round , a performance that meant they were exempt from the early rounds of this season's competition until now. However, they have a tough first game this season against one of the top performers in the Vase in recent years, Whitley Bay.
Bay won the competition three times in a row from 2009 to 2011, the 2009 final of course being a victory over Glossop North End. They still have two players at the club from those days, midfielder Paul Robinson and club captain and star striker Paul Chow.
Chow is a non-league legend in the North East. He scored in all three Vase final wins, his goal against Glossop in 2009 was his 40th of the season, and he made history in the 2010 Vase Final by scoring after only 21 seconds, the fastest goal ever at the new Wembley and the fastest in any Wembley Cup Final.
In the following season he scored in every round of the Vase, including twice at Wembley.
He is now the club’s second top scorer of all time, and clearly hasn't lost his goalscoring touch, with 44 goals last season and 10 so far this season.
However, Bay are perhaps not the force they were, and although Chow is still a goalscoring threat, they have conceded 39 goals in 17 league games so far, and sit in 13th place in the Northern League Division One. So, with home advantage , the Bears will be hoping that Bay's long trip down to Booth Street will not be a fruitful one.
Mention of Whitley Bay will no doubt bring back memories for all associated with Glossop North End, who experienced a trip to the 2009 final at Wembley.
The Hillmen also have a home tie with Ryhope Colliery Welfare, another side from Sunderland, making a trip to the North West. Ryhope have never faced NWCFL opponents in any FA competition, and travel to Surrey Street in good form, having lost just once in their last six games.
But Glossop are in more than handy form themselves, having scored 25 goals and conceding just two in the six games played in November so far, and backed by their usual good home support they will start as firm favourites.
A fascinating tie is in prospect up in County Durham where Shildon host Runcorn Town. Both sides have produced high profile performances and results in the FA Cup this season, and will be looking to reproduce that form in the Vase.
With Runcorn Town having won at Conference North side Barrow in the FA Cup in September, a trip to the North East will hold no fears. However, with Shildon just being edged out of a place in the First Round Proper of the FA Cup by Norton United, they will be keen to make up for that disappointment with some Vase success.
Town can take heart from the fact that in the last round, Shildon were within nine minutes of being knocked out of the competition at Colne, eventually winning 3-2 in extra time, but with Shildon unbeaten at home so far this season, there's no doubt that the visitors face a tough test.
The one Sunday game involving one of our sides sees a club with a long tradition facing new kids on the block.
Bishop Auckland, a club who won the old FA Amateur Cup three times in the 1950s, host 1874 Northwich who are in only their second season of competing in the Vase.
Curiously, each of 1874's previous three ties in the competition this season were played on a Sunday and they make a Vase Sabbath appearance for the fourth time in succession this weekend.
Bishops beat Holker Old Boys 3-0 at Heritage Park in the last round, and on paper it looks like another tough test for a NWCFL club in the North East, but manager Ian Street will no doubt have taken note that Sunday's opponents lost 6-2 at home to Marske United in a league game on Tuesday night.
The game kicks off at 4pm, due to a private function taking place prior to the game.
Good luck to all our clubs in their respective games, and we'll have match reports from all the games on the league website over the weekend.
