FA Vase Preview - Saturday 22nd October 2016
Fri 21st October 2016 | General | By Martin Fallon
The First Round of the Buildbase FA Vase rolls around this weekend with 18 Hallmark Security League sides hoping to take one step closer to a Wembley Final next May.
The eleven “zones” from previous round have been reduced down to five “zones” now, with 17 of our teams now in Zone 1, the notable exception being Hanley Town who are in Zone 2. And from a league point of view, the draw has been rather kind to us with just two ties that pair our sides against each other. We will start our review there.
ALL HALLMARK SECURITY LEAGUE TIES
Tomorrow afternoon, Charnock Richard entertain Barnoldswick Town, with Charnock hoping to continue a fine debut season in the competition that has seen them win two ties so far. It is a first competitive meeting between the two sides since 25th April 2009 when Charnock won 1-0 at Barlick en-route to their third West Lancashire League title, that season also seeing Barnoldswick step up to our league.
Charnock are the form team heading into this game having won 13 of their last 14 matches. The prospect of playing higher opposition will not phase them having knocked out Harrogate Railway in the last round as well as dumping Evostik League side Bamber Bridge out of the Lancashire Trophy. Keeping just five clean sheets this season may be concerning to some teams, but Charnock have scored a league high 62 goals so far. Carl Grimshaw is their leading goalscorer with 16 so far but they have goals all over the park with 14 different players finding the net at least once.
Barlick’s form is the opposite having lost their last four matches, three of them by the odd goal. However they also know where the net is with 46 league goals so far being the third highest in the Premier Division. Barnoldswick also recorded the largest score in the last round of the Vase when they beat Stokesley Sports Club 7-1 at home, and they knocked high flying West Didsbury & Chorlton out of the Macron Cup at the start of the month.
As mentioned this is Charnock’s first ever FA Vase campaign whereas Barnoldswick are in their seventh. Their best run came in 2012/13 when they reached the Third Round Proper before losing to AFC Emley.
The other all-league tie comes on Sunday afternoon, the weekend's only Sunday tie, when AFC Liverpool host Bootle in a Merseyside Derby. Both sides will be hoping to settle it on the day and not go to a replay given that they face each other in the Macron Cup next Friday evening!
AFC Liverpool have been in indifferent form for much of the season. After putting together a four match winning run towards the end of last month, they have only won one of their last five league games, that coming away at struggling Nelson with a 1-0 win. They do have the ability to beat any of the leading sides in this league though, with wins on the road coming over 1874 Northwich and Atherton Collieries already this season.
Bootle have had a good start to the season, sitting in fourth place in the Premier Division with games in hand on the three teams above them. After a little wobble at the start of the month they have bounced back and come into the game having won four of their last six games, with Carl Peers grabbing goals in all four wins. They also demonstrated on Saturday that they can dig in where necessary, with their winner over Hanley Town coming deep in stoppage time.
It’s a first meeting between the sides in the Vase. Bootle, who first entered in 1987/88, have reached the Second Round eight times, with their best run coming in 2008/09 when they reached the Fourth Round before losing to Whitley Bay. AFC Liverpool are in their eighth Vase campaign, and have only reached the Second Round once. That came in 2010/11 when they reached the Third Round before losing to Whitley Bay (ED – does everyone lose to them?)
HANLEY TOWN
Because of the reduced number of zones as the draw becomes less regionalised (it is a fully national draw as of the Fourth Round), 13 of the remaining 14 ties are against either Northern League or Northern Counties East League clubs. The exception is Hanley, who have been drawn against Midland League side Sporting Khalsa, with the two sides very familiar to each other.
Their first meeting came in the FA Vase in the 2014/15 season in the Second Qualifying Round. After an epic 3-3 draw at Khalsa, Hanley won the replay to progress into the First Round. Fast forward to this season and they were drawn together in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. Once more the tie was at Khalsa, with the sides drawing 1-1, only this time it was Khalsa who won the replay, winning 3-1 at Hanley.
Hanley are having a good season in the Premier Division after winning the First Division last season. They are currently in 8th place, and have won five of their last eight games coming into the match. Despite losing Theo Stair in pre-season, they signed Dan Cope and Angelo Errico in the summer, with the pair scoring over 20 times so far, including in both games against Khalsa.
As for Khalsa, they currently lie in fifth place in their Premier Division, the same level as Hanley, and they are on an 11 match unbeaten run at present. David Meese is their leading goalscorer with 12 goals in 18 games this season, with Daniel Ashton and Craig Banninster both on six. Encouraging for Hanley is that they do let goals in though, conceding seven in their last five games.
Hanley will be looking to reach the Second Round of the Vase for the first time, this being their seventh season in the competition. Khalsa have played one season more in it, although they will also be looking to reach the Second Round for the first time. Somewhat surprisingly, Khalsa have only won three FA Vase games in their history.
NORTHERN LEAGUE OPPONENTS
Of the remaining 13 sides, ten will be facing sides from the Northern League with seven of those sides playing at home.
With just seven Step 7 sides left in the competition, Ashton Town will rank as one of the lowest placed sides still left in. Despite sitting bottom of the First Division with one league win all season, it has been a different story in the FA Vase with two wins out of two so far, both of those coming against higher ranked sides. A 4-2 win over Northern Counties East League side Parkgate was followed up by a 3-2 win over Premier Division side Barnton, and despite losing their last five league matches, they will go into the game with nothing to lose.
They entertain Billingham Town at home, with the visitors plying their trade in Division Two of the Northern League, the same level as Ashton. They currently lie in 10th place in the league and come into the game in a bit of form having won their last three matches 5-0. Craig Hutchinson has scored seven times in those three games and is the biggest threat from the visitors.
Ashton have only twice reached this stage in 12 previous Vase campaigns, losing to Hallam in 2007/08 and 1874 Northwich two years ago. Billingham have played in the Vase every season since 1982/83, reaching the Last 16 in 1997/98, although this is the first time in five years they have gone this far. They have also not beaten a side from our league for ten seasons.
Also struggling in our First Division is Atherton LR who sit in 19th place having lost four of their last five games, but like Ashton they have also won against higher opposition to get to this stage. After a bye in the First Qualifying Round, they knocked out Premier Division side Cammell Laird 1907 in the last round. They will be looking to Favour Imade and Andrew Miller, both who have scored six this season, to fire them through although problems seem to be at the other end with no clean sheets registered so far this season.
They are once again up against higher opposition as Chester Le Street Town visit Crilly Park. CLS are struggling themselves at the bottom of the NL First Division, winning just two of their 15 league games so far. Lee Mole is their main threat, scoring 12 of their 30 goals this season, although like LR they are poor at the back with a 9-0 loss last Saturday at Consett.
LR have tasted Vase success in the past, losing to Diss Town in a Semi Final replay in 1993/94, but they have reached the Second Round just twice since that run. CLS have reached the Fifth Round once, losing to then Finalists Fleetwood Town in 1994/95, but they have not reached the Second Round since 1998/99 so this is unchartered territory for many at the club. The two teams have met previously, in the FA Cup in 1998/99 when CLS won 4-0 at Crilly Park.
Holker Old Boys lost manager Scott Redhead this week who moved on to Gretna 2008, but he leaves the Stags in a healthy state having won four of their last six games including a 1-0 win away at AFC Blackpool on Tuesday evening. Holker reached this round with a 4-2 win at Birtley Town in the last round, but their home form this season is sporadic, with five wins and four losses coming at Rakesmoor so far. However they did inflict Whitchurch Alport’s only loss on the road.
They face Stockton Town at home, the visitors currently sitting in second place in the NL First Division, the same level as Holker. Stockton are unbeaten on the road this season with six wins in nine away games, and they have lost just once all season, that coming at the start of this month at home to Billingham Synthonia. They are in their first Northern League season having stepped up from the Wearside League which they have won for the previous four seasons.
Stockton are playing in the Vase for the only the second time, the first time coming back in 1982/83. They showed what they are capable of in the last round with a 2-0 win away at Whitley Bay, that following on from beating Eccleshill United in the previous round by the same scoreline. Holker are playing in the First Round for the third time in the last four seasons, but they have only reached the Second Round once, this coming back in 1986/87 when they reached the Third Round. This is a first meeting between the sides.
Despite a 5-2 loss at Daisy Hill on Monday evening, Stockport Town come into their FA Vase encounter in good form with five wins in their last seven games. This includes a 3-2 win over high flying Alsager Town last Saturday, a 4-0 win over Litherland REMYCA and a 7-1 win over Eccleshall. Stockport sit in ninth place at present in the First Division but have games in hand on quite a few sides above them.
They face a home tie against Ryhope Colliery Welfare, who play in NL Division One, the league above Stockport. Ryhope, from Sunderland, are currently 18th in their division having won three of their 17 league games this season, and they come into this game in poor form. They have lost all of their last six games, including their last outing on Wednesday evening when they lost 11-1 away at Newcastle Benfield.
This is Stockport’s debut season in the FA Vase and they beat Alsager Town 3-0 in the previous round, their only Vase game so far. Ryhope are also relative unknowns in the Vase having played in five campaigns in the past, four of those back in the 1980’s! The one exception was in 2014/15 when they reached the Second Round, beating Barnoldswick Town en-route to the Second Round where they lost 3-0 at Glossop North End.
Also relatively new to the Vase are Litherland REMYCA, who are in only their second campaign. Litherland reached this round with a fine 2-1 win at City of Liverpool which was followed up by a 3-1 win over Vauxhall Motors. Since the Vauxhall game though they have won just once, a 4-0 win over Ashton Town, although they showed their resilience by coming from behind to rescue a point at home to Cheadle Town on Wednesday.
They face Shildon at home, the NL Division One side sitting in third place at present, having won the division last season for the sixth time. Shildon have lost just three times in 20 games this season, and reached the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup before losing at EvoStik League side Workington. They come into this game though on the back of a 2-2 draw at Seaham Red Star last Saturday.
This season saw Litherland gain their first Vase wins and this is the first time they have reached the First Round. Shildon have a fine Vase record, reaching the Semi Finals in 2012/13 and the Quarter Finals in 2009/10, and this is their first game in the competition this season.
Padiham are 11th at present in the Premier Division, but they come into their Vase game sitting in fourth place in the form table, losing just one of their last eight games. Their last two games have seen them win 1-0 against Runcorn Linnets and Squires Gate, with James Dean scoring the only goal in both games. Padiham reached this stage with a 2-1 win at West Auckland Town in the last round having received a bye in the First Qualifying Round.
They face another trip to the North East to face Guisborough Town, who currently lie in 21st place in the NL First Division. They have won three times this season but they have won just one of their last twelve league games, their latest game on Tuesday being a 3-1 loss at Whitley Bay. Guisborough finished third last season, earning them a bye to this stage of the competition, and its a competition that they have done well in.
They reached the Final in 1979/80, losing to Stamford, and the Semi Finals in 1996/97, losing to North Ferriby United. They have reached this stage in seven of the last eight years. Padiham’s best is reaching the Third Round when they were in the Lancashire League in 1981/82, and since then their best is the Second Round which they have reached in two of their last five campaigns. This is a first ever meeting between the two sides.
Irlam are having a fine season after promotion last season, and they are 10th coming into their game. After a great start to the season, they had a poor September which saw them win just once, but they have bounced back and picked up seven points from their last three games, beating both West Didsbury & Chorlton and Bootle. Irlam have yet to concede a goal in this season’s Vase, a 1-0 win at home to Selby Town followed up with a 3-0 win at Westella & Willerby where Matty Boland scored a hat-trick.
Their opponents on Saturday are Newcastle Benfield, who as mentioned further up come into the game on the back of an 11-1 win midweek. They are currently 12th in the NL First Division, with that win extending their unbeaten home record in the league to seven games. Its also Benfield’s third home Vase game, having beaten Alnwick Town 8-1 in the First Qualifying Round which they followed up with a 3-0 win over Liversedge.
This is a first meeting between the sides, whilst it is also the first time that Irlam have faced a Northern League side since the 2010/11 FA Vase. That was in the Second Round when they lost to Norton & Stockton Ancients, Irlam’s best run in the competition to date, and this season is the first time that they have won in the Vase since that tie. Newcastle Benfield’s last tie against one of our sides was more recent – August – when they beat Padiham in the FA Cup, and they will be hoping to emulate their run of 2013/14 when they reached the Quarter Finals, their best season in it.
Runcorn Linnets have been in great form recently, picking up the Team of the Month award for September, and they come into their FA Vase game having won ten of their last twelve games in all competitions. Michael Ellison has shaped a new look Linnets this season, and his defensive know how is having influence already having conceded just one goal in their last five games, that coming in a rare loss at Padiham last Saturday.
They travel to the North East where they will face South Shields, one of the leading sides in the NL First Division at present who currently sit in second place after winning promotion last season. Shields are currently 18 games unbeaten, and they have won eight of their nine games in all competitions. It is the tie of the round for me, with Shields averaging over 1,000 at home games and boasting players such as the former Newcastle and Sunderland winger Julio Arca.
South Shields’ involvement in the Vase stretches back to the 1975/76 season when they reached the Quarter Finals, and they regularly reach this stage of the competition. Last season they reached the Third Round before losing to eventual winners Morpeth Town. Linnets have, for me, underachieved in the Vase having progressed beyond this round just twice, the latest coming last season when they reached the Second Round before losing to Marske United. Their best is the Third Round in 2008/09.
1874 Northwich were the talk of the competition last season when they controversially pulled out due to problems in reaching their midweek Second Round tie at Morpeth Town. This season they face another North East side in Billingham Synthonia, this time at home. It’s only 1874’s fourth season in the Vase, their best coming in 2014/15 when they reached the Third Round. As for Billingham, they reached the Semi Finals in 2006/07, but they have not reached the Second Round since 2013/14.
1874 are currently third in the Premier Division, having lost just three times this season. One of those was last time out in their midweek loss to Congleton Town, but prior to that they had lost just once in fourteen games. Their front men of Tom Bailey, Sam Hind and Scott McGowan have scored 35 between them this season, and they will be key on Saturday. This is the first tie for 1874 this season having received a bye for finishing in the top four last season.
Billingham are in the league below in the NL First Division, but are also having a good season sitting third in their league. They have had just one loss in the league this season, that coming last Tuesday evening when they surprisingly lost 4-0 at Durham City. Billingham are used to travelling in the Vase, with two away wins so far, both against sides from their league. They won 1-0 at Heaton Stannington in the last round, that coming after a 1-0 win at Washington in the previous round.
Our tenth and final team facing a North East team is Atherton Collieries who host the team with the longest name in the competition... Jarrow Roofing Bolden Community Association FC. Jarrow currently sit in 14th place in the NL First Division, winning just four of their 17 league games so far. However their latest win was on Tuesday when they inflicted the first defeat of the season on league leaders North Shields.
Colls sit second in the Premier Division coming into the game, and are unbeaten in their last six games. Eyebrows were raised with home draws against Irlam and Nelson in the last two weeks, and that is perhaps an indication of how far Colls have come in the last two years and how they are now seen as one of the leading Premier Division sides. Last season’s top four finish gave Colls a bye to this round.
Last season saw Colls reach the Third Round before losing to Newton Aycliffe in a game that was severely hit by the weather. That is the best they have achieved to date, matching their run in 1992/93, and they will be looking to emulate that this season. The game sees them face Jarrow for the first time, with the North East side looking to recapture the form of 2004/05 when they reached the Semi Finals. They beat Northallerton Town 4-0 in the last round, their first Vase win since November 2014.
NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST OPPONENTS
Our final three teams all face sides from the Northern Counties East League, with Chadderton travelling the short distance to AFC Emley. Chadderton are 13th coming into this game and although they have lost four of their last six games, one was against a strong FC United of Manchester side in the Manchester Premier Cup and another was a late winner for Stockport Town. They have had two good Vase wins so far, a 5-3 win over St Helens Town and a 4-1 win at Widnes.
AFC Emley are ninth in the NCEL First Division, the same league as Chadderton, but come into the game with just two wins in their last six games. Ashley Flynn, scorer of a ridiculous 74 goals last season, remains their leading man with 16 goals so far this season. Emley progressed to this stage with a 2-1 win at Ashton Athletic in the last round.
Its the second meeting between the two clubs having met in the 2012/13 FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round with Chadderton winning 2-0. Emley’s ten years in the FA Vase have seen them reach the Second Round twice, that coming in 2012/13 when they reached the Fourth Round. Chadderton’s best is also the Fourth Round, that coming two seasons ago when they lost to AFC Mansfield.
Congleton Town will be playing a new side on Saturday as they entertain Hall Road Rangers from the NCEL First Division, the league below Congleton. The Bears are currently in 13th place in the Premier Division, and will be boosted at ending their sequence of five matches without a win on Tuesday evening when they won 3-1 at 1874 Northwich. Hall Road are 11th in their league, winning just one of their last four league games.
It’s safe to say that this Vase game will not finish goalless. Congleton’s last six games have seen 30 goals go in at one end or another, with Hall Road’s last six seeing 29 goals! Scott Phillips is Hall Road’s leading scorer with ten goals, whilst Brian Matthews (14) and Declan Fletcher (12) are Congleton’s main threats.
Congleton’s first Vase game came in 1976/77 after they had played since 1969/70 in the FA Trophy. In 23 seasons of Vase action since then, the Last 16 is their best which came in 2003/04 when they lost at home to AFC Sudbury. In modern times, they reached the Fourth Round in 2013/14. They reached this round beating Armthorpe Welfare 3-2 and Bacup Borough 7-3 (AET). As for Hall Road, this is their 42nd season in the Vase, stretching back to 1975/76, although it has not been a competition they’ve done well in. A solitary Third Round appearance in 1999/00 is the best, and they have only progressed past this stage four times.
Our final game of another monster preview sees Premier Division leaders Runcorn Town host Hallam, and it looks like being a tough game at Pavilions against NCEL First Division side Hallam. The Sheffield side sit in third place in their league, and warmed up for the game with a 6-0 win on Wednesday evening, making it eight games unbeaten. Jake Currie, a summer signing from Shirebrook Town, is their leading scorer with nine.
Runcorn Town hit top spot after a 4-0 win at Cammell Laird on Tuesday, their 10th win from their last 11 games. They have kept four clean sheets in their last four matches, and in Craig Cairns boast the leagues leading goalscorer with 24 goals already from 20 starts.
It’s another first ever meeting between the sides. Hallam have entered the Vase since 1975/76, and like Hall Road, this is their 42nd season in it. They have reached the Last 16 once, back in 1980/81, but they regularly do well in it, and will be looking to match last season when they reached the Second Round. Runcorn Town have probably the most consistent record of any of our sides in the Vase, and in six previous campaigns they have reached at least the Second Round in every one. They will be looking to extend this record, their best being the last 16 in 2012/13.
FA Vase Preview - Saturday 22nd October 2016
Fri 21st October 2016 | General
By Martin Fallon
The First Round of the Buildbase FA Vase rolls around this weekend with 18 Hallmark Security League sides hoping to take one step closer to a Wembley Final next May.
The eleven “zones” from previous round have been reduced down to five “zones” now, with 17 of our teams now in Zone 1, the notable exception being Hanley Town who are in Zone 2. And from a league point of view, the draw has been rather kind to us with just two ties that pair our sides against each other. We will start our review there.
ALL HALLMARK SECURITY LEAGUE TIES
Tomorrow afternoon, Charnock Richard entertain Barnoldswick Town, with Charnock hoping to continue a fine debut season in the competition that has seen them win two ties so far. It is a first competitive meeting between the two sides since 25th April 2009 when Charnock won 1-0 at Barlick en-route to their third West Lancashire League title, that season also seeing Barnoldswick step up to our league.
Charnock are the form team heading into this game having won 13 of their last 14 matches. The prospect of playing higher opposition will not phase them having knocked out Harrogate Railway in the last round as well as dumping Evostik League side Bamber Bridge out of the Lancashire Trophy. Keeping just five clean sheets this season may be concerning to some teams, but Charnock have scored a league high 62 goals so far. Carl Grimshaw is their leading goalscorer with 16 so far but they have goals all over the park with 14 different players finding the net at least once.
Barlick’s form is the opposite having lost their last four matches, three of them by the odd goal. However they also know where the net is with 46 league goals so far being the third highest in the Premier Division. Barnoldswick also recorded the largest score in the last round of the Vase when they beat Stokesley Sports Club 7-1 at home, and they knocked high flying West Didsbury & Chorlton out of the Macron Cup at the start of the month.
As mentioned this is Charnock’s first ever FA Vase campaign whereas Barnoldswick are in their seventh. Their best run came in 2012/13 when they reached the Third Round Proper before losing to AFC Emley.
The other all-league tie comes on Sunday afternoon, the weekend's only Sunday tie, when AFC Liverpool host Bootle in a Merseyside Derby. Both sides will be hoping to settle it on the day and not go to a replay given that they face each other in the Macron Cup next Friday evening!
AFC Liverpool have been in indifferent form for much of the season. After putting together a four match winning run towards the end of last month, they have only won one of their last five league games, that coming away at struggling Nelson with a 1-0 win. They do have the ability to beat any of the leading sides in this league though, with wins on the road coming over 1874 Northwich and Atherton Collieries already this season.
Bootle have had a good start to the season, sitting in fourth place in the Premier Division with games in hand on the three teams above them. After a little wobble at the start of the month they have bounced back and come into the game having won four of their last six games, with Carl Peers grabbing goals in all four wins. They also demonstrated on Saturday that they can dig in where necessary, with their winner over Hanley Town coming deep in stoppage time.
It’s a first meeting between the sides in the Vase. Bootle, who first entered in 1987/88, have reached the Second Round eight times, with their best run coming in 2008/09 when they reached the Fourth Round before losing to Whitley Bay. AFC Liverpool are in their eighth Vase campaign, and have only reached the Second Round once. That came in 2010/11 when they reached the Third Round before losing to Whitley Bay (ED – does everyone lose to them?)
HANLEY TOWN
Because of the reduced number of zones as the draw becomes less regionalised (it is a fully national draw as of the Fourth Round), 13 of the remaining 14 ties are against either Northern League or Northern Counties East League clubs. The exception is Hanley, who have been drawn against Midland League side Sporting Khalsa, with the two sides very familiar to each other.
Their first meeting came in the FA Vase in the 2014/15 season in the Second Qualifying Round. After an epic 3-3 draw at Khalsa, Hanley won the replay to progress into the First Round. Fast forward to this season and they were drawn together in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. Once more the tie was at Khalsa, with the sides drawing 1-1, only this time it was Khalsa who won the replay, winning 3-1 at Hanley.
Hanley are having a good season in the Premier Division after winning the First Division last season. They are currently in 8th place, and have won five of their last eight games coming into the match. Despite losing Theo Stair in pre-season, they signed Dan Cope and Angelo Errico in the summer, with the pair scoring over 20 times so far, including in both games against Khalsa.
As for Khalsa, they currently lie in fifth place in their Premier Division, the same level as Hanley, and they are on an 11 match unbeaten run at present. David Meese is their leading goalscorer with 12 goals in 18 games this season, with Daniel Ashton and Craig Banninster both on six. Encouraging for Hanley is that they do let goals in though, conceding seven in their last five games.
Hanley will be looking to reach the Second Round of the Vase for the first time, this being their seventh season in the competition. Khalsa have played one season more in it, although they will also be looking to reach the Second Round for the first time. Somewhat surprisingly, Khalsa have only won three FA Vase games in their history.
NORTHERN LEAGUE OPPONENTS
Of the remaining 13 sides, ten will be facing sides from the Northern League with seven of those sides playing at home.
With just seven Step 7 sides left in the competition, Ashton Town will rank as one of the lowest placed sides still left in. Despite sitting bottom of the First Division with one league win all season, it has been a different story in the FA Vase with two wins out of two so far, both of those coming against higher ranked sides. A 4-2 win over Northern Counties East League side Parkgate was followed up by a 3-2 win over Premier Division side Barnton, and despite losing their last five league matches, they will go into the game with nothing to lose.
They entertain Billingham Town at home, with the visitors plying their trade in Division Two of the Northern League, the same level as Ashton. They currently lie in 10th place in the league and come into the game in a bit of form having won their last three matches 5-0. Craig Hutchinson has scored seven times in those three games and is the biggest threat from the visitors.
Ashton have only twice reached this stage in 12 previous Vase campaigns, losing to Hallam in 2007/08 and 1874 Northwich two years ago. Billingham have played in the Vase every season since 1982/83, reaching the Last 16 in 1997/98, although this is the first time in five years they have gone this far. They have also not beaten a side from our league for ten seasons.
Also struggling in our First Division is Atherton LR who sit in 19th place having lost four of their last five games, but like Ashton they have also won against higher opposition to get to this stage. After a bye in the First Qualifying Round, they knocked out Premier Division side Cammell Laird 1907 in the last round. They will be looking to Favour Imade and Andrew Miller, both who have scored six this season, to fire them through although problems seem to be at the other end with no clean sheets registered so far this season.
They are once again up against higher opposition as Chester Le Street Town visit Crilly Park. CLS are struggling themselves at the bottom of the NL First Division, winning just two of their 15 league games so far. Lee Mole is their main threat, scoring 12 of their 30 goals this season, although like LR they are poor at the back with a 9-0 loss last Saturday at Consett.
LR have tasted Vase success in the past, losing to Diss Town in a Semi Final replay in 1993/94, but they have reached the Second Round just twice since that run. CLS have reached the Fifth Round once, losing to then Finalists Fleetwood Town in 1994/95, but they have not reached the Second Round since 1998/99 so this is unchartered territory for many at the club. The two teams have met previously, in the FA Cup in 1998/99 when CLS won 4-0 at Crilly Park.
Holker Old Boys lost manager Scott Redhead this week who moved on to Gretna 2008, but he leaves the Stags in a healthy state having won four of their last six games including a 1-0 win away at AFC Blackpool on Tuesday evening. Holker reached this round with a 4-2 win at Birtley Town in the last round, but their home form this season is sporadic, with five wins and four losses coming at Rakesmoor so far. However they did inflict Whitchurch Alport’s only loss on the road.
They face Stockton Town at home, the visitors currently sitting in second place in the NL First Division, the same level as Holker. Stockton are unbeaten on the road this season with six wins in nine away games, and they have lost just once all season, that coming at the start of this month at home to Billingham Synthonia. They are in their first Northern League season having stepped up from the Wearside League which they have won for the previous four seasons.
Stockton are playing in the Vase for the only the second time, the first time coming back in 1982/83. They showed what they are capable of in the last round with a 2-0 win away at Whitley Bay, that following on from beating Eccleshill United in the previous round by the same scoreline. Holker are playing in the First Round for the third time in the last four seasons, but they have only reached the Second Round once, this coming back in 1986/87 when they reached the Third Round. This is a first meeting between the sides.
Despite a 5-2 loss at Daisy Hill on Monday evening, Stockport Town come into their FA Vase encounter in good form with five wins in their last seven games. This includes a 3-2 win over high flying Alsager Town last Saturday, a 4-0 win over Litherland REMYCA and a 7-1 win over Eccleshall. Stockport sit in ninth place at present in the First Division but have games in hand on quite a few sides above them.
They face a home tie against Ryhope Colliery Welfare, who play in NL Division One, the league above Stockport. Ryhope, from Sunderland, are currently 18th in their division having won three of their 17 league games this season, and they come into this game in poor form. They have lost all of their last six games, including their last outing on Wednesday evening when they lost 11-1 away at Newcastle Benfield.
This is Stockport’s debut season in the FA Vase and they beat Alsager Town 3-0 in the previous round, their only Vase game so far. Ryhope are also relative unknowns in the Vase having played in five campaigns in the past, four of those back in the 1980’s! The one exception was in 2014/15 when they reached the Second Round, beating Barnoldswick Town en-route to the Second Round where they lost 3-0 at Glossop North End.
Also relatively new to the Vase are Litherland REMYCA, who are in only their second campaign. Litherland reached this round with a fine 2-1 win at City of Liverpool which was followed up by a 3-1 win over Vauxhall Motors. Since the Vauxhall game though they have won just once, a 4-0 win over Ashton Town, although they showed their resilience by coming from behind to rescue a point at home to Cheadle Town on Wednesday.
They face Shildon at home, the NL Division One side sitting in third place at present, having won the division last season for the sixth time. Shildon have lost just three times in 20 games this season, and reached the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup before losing at EvoStik League side Workington. They come into this game though on the back of a 2-2 draw at Seaham Red Star last Saturday.
This season saw Litherland gain their first Vase wins and this is the first time they have reached the First Round. Shildon have a fine Vase record, reaching the Semi Finals in 2012/13 and the Quarter Finals in 2009/10, and this is their first game in the competition this season.
Padiham are 11th at present in the Premier Division, but they come into their Vase game sitting in fourth place in the form table, losing just one of their last eight games. Their last two games have seen them win 1-0 against Runcorn Linnets and Squires Gate, with James Dean scoring the only goal in both games. Padiham reached this stage with a 2-1 win at West Auckland Town in the last round having received a bye in the First Qualifying Round.
They face another trip to the North East to face Guisborough Town, who currently lie in 21st place in the NL First Division. They have won three times this season but they have won just one of their last twelve league games, their latest game on Tuesday being a 3-1 loss at Whitley Bay. Guisborough finished third last season, earning them a bye to this stage of the competition, and its a competition that they have done well in.
They reached the Final in 1979/80, losing to Stamford, and the Semi Finals in 1996/97, losing to North Ferriby United. They have reached this stage in seven of the last eight years. Padiham’s best is reaching the Third Round when they were in the Lancashire League in 1981/82, and since then their best is the Second Round which they have reached in two of their last five campaigns. This is a first ever meeting between the two sides.
Irlam are having a fine season after promotion last season, and they are 10th coming into their game. After a great start to the season, they had a poor September which saw them win just once, but they have bounced back and picked up seven points from their last three games, beating both West Didsbury & Chorlton and Bootle. Irlam have yet to concede a goal in this season’s Vase, a 1-0 win at home to Selby Town followed up with a 3-0 win at Westella & Willerby where Matty Boland scored a hat-trick.
Their opponents on Saturday are Newcastle Benfield, who as mentioned further up come into the game on the back of an 11-1 win midweek. They are currently 12th in the NL First Division, with that win extending their unbeaten home record in the league to seven games. Its also Benfield’s third home Vase game, having beaten Alnwick Town 8-1 in the First Qualifying Round which they followed up with a 3-0 win over Liversedge.
This is a first meeting between the sides, whilst it is also the first time that Irlam have faced a Northern League side since the 2010/11 FA Vase. That was in the Second Round when they lost to Norton & Stockton Ancients, Irlam’s best run in the competition to date, and this season is the first time that they have won in the Vase since that tie. Newcastle Benfield’s last tie against one of our sides was more recent – August – when they beat Padiham in the FA Cup, and they will be hoping to emulate their run of 2013/14 when they reached the Quarter Finals, their best season in it.
Runcorn Linnets have been in great form recently, picking up the Team of the Month award for September, and they come into their FA Vase game having won ten of their last twelve games in all competitions. Michael Ellison has shaped a new look Linnets this season, and his defensive know how is having influence already having conceded just one goal in their last five games, that coming in a rare loss at Padiham last Saturday.
They travel to the North East where they will face South Shields, one of the leading sides in the NL First Division at present who currently sit in second place after winning promotion last season. Shields are currently 18 games unbeaten, and they have won eight of their nine games in all competitions. It is the tie of the round for me, with Shields averaging over 1,000 at home games and boasting players such as the former Newcastle and Sunderland winger Julio Arca.
South Shields’ involvement in the Vase stretches back to the 1975/76 season when they reached the Quarter Finals, and they regularly reach this stage of the competition. Last season they reached the Third Round before losing to eventual winners Morpeth Town. Linnets have, for me, underachieved in the Vase having progressed beyond this round just twice, the latest coming last season when they reached the Second Round before losing to Marske United. Their best is the Third Round in 2008/09.
1874 Northwich were the talk of the competition last season when they controversially pulled out due to problems in reaching their midweek Second Round tie at Morpeth Town. This season they face another North East side in Billingham Synthonia, this time at home. It’s only 1874’s fourth season in the Vase, their best coming in 2014/15 when they reached the Third Round. As for Billingham, they reached the Semi Finals in 2006/07, but they have not reached the Second Round since 2013/14.
1874 are currently third in the Premier Division, having lost just three times this season. One of those was last time out in their midweek loss to Congleton Town, but prior to that they had lost just once in fourteen games. Their front men of Tom Bailey, Sam Hind and Scott McGowan have scored 35 between them this season, and they will be key on Saturday. This is the first tie for 1874 this season having received a bye for finishing in the top four last season.
Billingham are in the league below in the NL First Division, but are also having a good season sitting third in their league. They have had just one loss in the league this season, that coming last Tuesday evening when they surprisingly lost 4-0 at Durham City. Billingham are used to travelling in the Vase, with two away wins so far, both against sides from their league. They won 1-0 at Heaton Stannington in the last round, that coming after a 1-0 win at Washington in the previous round.
Our tenth and final team facing a North East team is Atherton Collieries who host the team with the longest name in the competition... Jarrow Roofing Bolden Community Association FC. Jarrow currently sit in 14th place in the NL First Division, winning just four of their 17 league games so far. However their latest win was on Tuesday when they inflicted the first defeat of the season on league leaders North Shields.
Colls sit second in the Premier Division coming into the game, and are unbeaten in their last six games. Eyebrows were raised with home draws against Irlam and Nelson in the last two weeks, and that is perhaps an indication of how far Colls have come in the last two years and how they are now seen as one of the leading Premier Division sides. Last season’s top four finish gave Colls a bye to this round.
Last season saw Colls reach the Third Round before losing to Newton Aycliffe in a game that was severely hit by the weather. That is the best they have achieved to date, matching their run in 1992/93, and they will be looking to emulate that this season. The game sees them face Jarrow for the first time, with the North East side looking to recapture the form of 2004/05 when they reached the Semi Finals. They beat Northallerton Town 4-0 in the last round, their first Vase win since November 2014.
NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST OPPONENTS
Our final three teams all face sides from the Northern Counties East League, with Chadderton travelling the short distance to AFC Emley. Chadderton are 13th coming into this game and although they have lost four of their last six games, one was against a strong FC United of Manchester side in the Manchester Premier Cup and another was a late winner for Stockport Town. They have had two good Vase wins so far, a 5-3 win over St Helens Town and a 4-1 win at Widnes.
AFC Emley are ninth in the NCEL First Division, the same league as Chadderton, but come into the game with just two wins in their last six games. Ashley Flynn, scorer of a ridiculous 74 goals last season, remains their leading man with 16 goals so far this season. Emley progressed to this stage with a 2-1 win at Ashton Athletic in the last round.
Its the second meeting between the two clubs having met in the 2012/13 FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round with Chadderton winning 2-0. Emley’s ten years in the FA Vase have seen them reach the Second Round twice, that coming in 2012/13 when they reached the Fourth Round. Chadderton’s best is also the Fourth Round, that coming two seasons ago when they lost to AFC Mansfield.
Congleton Town will be playing a new side on Saturday as they entertain Hall Road Rangers from the NCEL First Division, the league below Congleton. The Bears are currently in 13th place in the Premier Division, and will be boosted at ending their sequence of five matches without a win on Tuesday evening when they won 3-1 at 1874 Northwich. Hall Road are 11th in their league, winning just one of their last four league games.
It’s safe to say that this Vase game will not finish goalless. Congleton’s last six games have seen 30 goals go in at one end or another, with Hall Road’s last six seeing 29 goals! Scott Phillips is Hall Road’s leading scorer with ten goals, whilst Brian Matthews (14) and Declan Fletcher (12) are Congleton’s main threats.
Congleton’s first Vase game came in 1976/77 after they had played since 1969/70 in the FA Trophy. In 23 seasons of Vase action since then, the Last 16 is their best which came in 2003/04 when they lost at home to AFC Sudbury. In modern times, they reached the Fourth Round in 2013/14. They reached this round beating Armthorpe Welfare 3-2 and Bacup Borough 7-3 (AET). As for Hall Road, this is their 42nd season in the Vase, stretching back to 1975/76, although it has not been a competition they’ve done well in. A solitary Third Round appearance in 1999/00 is the best, and they have only progressed past this stage four times.
Our final game of another monster preview sees Premier Division leaders Runcorn Town host Hallam, and it looks like being a tough game at Pavilions against NCEL First Division side Hallam. The Sheffield side sit in third place in their league, and warmed up for the game with a 6-0 win on Wednesday evening, making it eight games unbeaten. Jake Currie, a summer signing from Shirebrook Town, is their leading scorer with nine.
Runcorn Town hit top spot after a 4-0 win at Cammell Laird on Tuesday, their 10th win from their last 11 games. They have kept four clean sheets in their last four matches, and in Craig Cairns boast the leagues leading goalscorer with 24 goals already from 20 starts.
It’s another first ever meeting between the sides. Hallam have entered the Vase since 1975/76, and like Hall Road, this is their 42nd season in it. They have reached the Last 16 once, back in 1980/81, but they regularly do well in it, and will be looking to match last season when they reached the Second Round. Runcorn Town have probably the most consistent record of any of our sides in the Vase, and in six previous campaigns they have reached at least the Second Round in every one. They will be looking to extend this record, their best being the last 16 in 2012/13.
