FA Vase First Round Preview - Saturday 21st October
Fri 20th October 2017 | FA Challenge Vase | By Martin Fallon
The Road To Wembley. The March to the Arch. Whatever you call it, the next stage of the Buildbase FA Vase rolls around this weekend with 14 of our sides looking to take one step closer to Non-League Finals Day at Wembley Stadium next May.
After two Qualifying Rounds, Saturday is the First Round Proper, with teams having to negotiate their way through seven successful rounds to reach the Final. Although it is a national competition, it is regionalised at this stage with five different zones, each increasing in size until the Fifth Round stage when the draw becomes fully national. Most of our teams are in Zone 1 which includes Northern League and Northern Counties East League opponents, with Hanley Town the only one in Zone 2, teams in this from the East Midlands Counties League and Midlands League amongst others.
There are just two all-Hallmark Security League ties, and that is where we will start this preview. The first is an all-Premier Division encounter as Irlam face 1874 Northwich at The Ambitek Stadium. It is Irlam's ninth season in the FA Vase and their best is the Second Round in 2010/11. They currently sit in 13th position in the Premier Division but come into the game having lost three of their last four games, failing to score in all of those losses.
Opponents 1874 Northwich are on a poor run of form at present with just one loss in their last nine games, putting them third from bottom in the current form guide. They are 20th in the league table but due to their fine FA Cup run, have plenty of games in hand on those above them. This is their fifth season in the Vase, with the Third Round being their best in 2014/15. Since then, they have reached the Second Round in every season including last season when they bowed out to Atherton Collieries.
This promises to be a close game if previous meetings have anything to with it. They have met just four times, twice in the First Division in 2013/14 and twice last season in the Premier Division. The first three meetings were all draws, two 1-1's and one goalless, with 1874 winning the last encounter 1-0 at Irlam in November 2016.
The other all-Hallmark Security League tie sees Alsager Town take on Runcorn Town in the battle of the two sides who won Club of the Month in September. This is a quirk of the fixtures computer, with the two sides also facing off in the Macron Cup on Wednesday evening with .
Alsager have lost just one of their last eleven games and lost just three games all season. They sit in fourth place in the First Division, their good start giving them a great platform to mount a promotion challenge over the rest of the season. Alsager reached the Third Round of the Vase two seasons ago, although this is only the fourth time in 14 campaigns that they have reached the First Round proper.
Runcorn Town are flying high at the top of the Premier Division at present, winning eleven of their twelve league games so far. They have lost just twice this season in all competitions, and this will be their first Vase game of the season having received a bye to this round courtesey of their top four finish last season. Runcorn went out at this stage last season, the only time they have gone out this early in seven campaigns, their best being the Fifth Round in 2012/13.
The two sides have met eleven times in the past, with Runcorn Town having the upper hand winning seven of those meetings. They have also never lost at the Woodpark Stadium, winning four and drawing one of the five games played there. Alsager though may have the pyschological advantage having beaten their opponents on Wednesday evening in the Macron Cup.
As well as Runcorn Town, two other sides received a bye to this round, those being Bootle and Runcorn Linnets who finished second and fourth last season. Bootle are third at present in the Premier Division, and in a decent run of form having lost just one of their last seven games, that putting them in seventh place in the form table with two of those six being draws. Bootle have played in the Vase since 1987, their best being the Fourth Round twice, in 2008/09 and 2009/10. Last season they reached the Third Round before losing narrowly at eventual finalists Cleethorpes Town.
Their opponents are Rossington Main of the Northern Counties East League (NCEL). They play in the First Division, effectively the league below Bootle, and are in seventh place at present. They have won just two of their last seven games, both of them coming against Hallam, and one of those in the last round of this competition. Like Bootle, Rossington have a long Vase history going back to 1985, yet this is only the sixth time they have reached the First Round. They have progressed only once, losing in the Second Round in 1988.
Strangely enough, this is the second successive year that these teams have met in the Vase, with the two sides facing each other in the Second Qualifying Round last year at The Welfare Ground. That was the only previous meeting, and saw Bootle win 4-0, with Daniel Murphy, Carl Peers, Ryan Cox and Josh Hamilton all on the scoresheet.
Runcorn Linnets meanwhile face a trip to the North East for the fourth successive season in FA competitions as they visit Team Northumbria. The three previous visits have proved fruitless, but Linnets are in a rich vein of form at present on a ten game unbeaten run of which they have won eight. September Player of the Month Stuart Wellstead has 12 goals in his last 12 games for the club, but seven clean sheets so far this season at the other end show that they are a tough team to score against.
Team Northumbria play in the top division in the Northern League and are in 13th place at present. They have won three and drew three of their last six games, although those three wins have all come at home. That's not to say that their home is a fortress though, as they have won five and lost four of their home games in all competititions so far. One of those wins came against Durham City in the last roun of the Vase which they won 2-0.
Linnets' best run in the Vase is reaching the Third Round which came in 2008/09, and in six of the last seven campaigns they have gone out at this stage. A good run in the Vase is therefore overdue. Team Northumbria have only twice reached this stage of the Vase in nine previous campaigns, with their best also being the Third Round in 2015/16.
Due to the regionalised draw of the Vase, our sides come up against Northern League sides quite often in the competition, and perhaps the hardest task of all lies with AFC Darwen who host Marske United. Darwen sit 16th in the Premier Division at present, but in the form guide they are ninth having lost just one of their last six games. They knocked holders City of Liverpool out of the Macron Cup on Wednesday evening, and they reached this stage with a 4-2 win over Glasshoughton Welfare with leading scorer Mark McKay scoring twice.
Marske currently sit second in the Northern League, and come into the game in great form having won seven of their last eight games. Their defence is their key asset and they have kept seven clean sheets so far out of 20 games played including one on Tuesday evening. They are also good at the other end with 48 goals scored so far, and they beat fellow Northern League sides Ryton & Crawcrook Albion and Seaham Red Star to reach this stage.
This is only Darwen's sixth FA Vase campaign, and they have only progressed past this stage once, that coming in 2014/15 when they reached the Second Round. Marske meanwhile have been entering since 1986 and are two time Quarter Finalists, although they went out at the first hurdle last year to eventual winners South Shields.
Apart from Alsager, the First Division has just one other representive remaining and that is Litherland REMYCA, and they have perhaps the most difficult task of any of our clubs as they travel to Pontefract Collieries. REMYCA have had a great season so far, winning nine of eleven league games to sit third in the table at present. They are also third in the form table, and come into the game on the back of a 6-0 win over Holker Old Boys last week. Their defence is key and they have kept ten clean sheets so far in 16 games this season.
If REMYCA are built on defence, then Pontefract are built on attack. They have won eleven out of twelve league games this season to top the Northern Counties East League, scoring a frankly ridiculous 52 goals in those 12 games. Since losing in the FA Cup in August, they have won 12 straight games, with the front three of Eli Hey,
Michael Dunn and Kane Reece scoring 33 goals between them.
This is only REMYCA's third Vase campaign and they reached this stage last season before losing to Shildon. So far this year they have beaten Ashton Town and Chadderton. Pontefract first entered in 1987, but have only reached this stage five times in their 30 campaigns. Their best is the Second Round which they reached once in 2002/03. They have beaten two Hallmark Security League sides so far, winning 5-1 and 4-1 at Maine Road and Winsford United.
Ashton Athletic have been superb this season, and their cup exploits and 13th position in the table perhaps hide their true form. They have lost just once in their last 13 games, that coming against Conference North side Chorley in the FA Cup, and they’ve also won their last four games scoring 16 goals in the process. This is Ashton's 16th game of the season, their 8th in knockout competitions, and they reached this stage with a win over Maltby Main in the last round.
They face Liversedge who play in the NCEL Premier Division and are not in a great run of form. They’ve won just once in five games, that coming on Tuesday with Andrew Wood hitting a hattrick in a 3-2 win over Hallam. That puts them in 15th place in the table, and they have won twice in the Vase this season, both by the odd goal and both on the road. A 2-1 win at Prestwich Heys was followed up by a 3-2 win AET at Hemsworth Miners Welfare.
This is the first time since 2008/09 that Ashton have reached the First Round of the Vase, and they have gone past this stage just once, that coming in their debut season in 2007/08 when they reached the Third Round. Liversedge played in the very first FA Vase season in 1974/75, and have reached the Third Round on two occassions. More recently, this is only the second time they have reached the First Round since 2010/11.
Including cup matches, Charnock Richard are the most prolific scorers in the Hallmark Security League, their 41 goals in 12 games giving them an average of almost 3.5 goals a game. They have scored three or more goals in ten of those 12 games, and its this striking prowess that has given them a win in nine out of their last eleven games, putting them fifth in the Premier Division with games in hand on all sides above them.
Charnock travel to Bedlington Terriers, who are effectively the league below them in the Northern League Division Two. They are 11th with five wins from 15 games in the league this season, but are in good form having lost just one of their last eight games, with two of those wins coming in the last week. They reached this stage with wins over Campion and Bishop Auckland.
This is only Charnock's second season in the Vase, and they reached the Second Round last season, losing to Staveley Miners Welfare. Bedlington first entered in 1981, and they have a proud FA Vase record. They were losing Finalists to Tiverton Town in 1998/99, and they have reached the Semi Finals twice and Quarter Finals once in other years. More recently, they last reached this round in 2014/15 when they lost to Whitley Bay.
West Didsbury & Chorlton hold the FA Vase record for biggest win, that being a 15-1 win over Dinnington Town two years ago. They continue to score goals to this day, notching 55 so far this season, more than any other team in the Hallmark Security League. Their loss at home to Barlick on Tuesday brought to an end a four game winning run, but they are still 6th in both the league and the form tables.
They host West Auckland Town who are fifth in the Northern League, but they’ve won just one of their last four games, that coming midweek against Whitley Bay. Their high league position is down to some impressive early season form, particularly on the road where they have lost just three of ten games played so far. They also handed Silsden their first defeat of the season in the last round, winning 3-0 in the last round.
This is only West Didsbury's seventh Vase campaign, and they had won just four games in it prior to this season, with the First Round the furthest they have been. They have beaten AFC Blackpool and Stockport Town so far this season in the Vase. As for West Auckland, they have played in the Vase since 1984/85, reaching the Final in 2011/12 and 2012/13. Unfortunately they lost both Finals, and they've struggled in the competition since.
The team that beat West Auckland at Wembley in 2011/12 is fellow Northern League side Dunston UTS, and they host Burscough on Saturday. Dunston are fourth in the Northern League and have won three of their last six games, but come into this game without a win in their last two games, losing at home last Saturday to Seaham and drawing midweek at Sunderland RCA. They have beaten Washington and Barnoldswick so far in this years competition, keeping clean sheets in both games.
Burscough are having a strange old season and are yet to win a league game in 13 attempts, however they have some great wins in cup competitions so will fancy their chances. They will also be boosted by a 3-0 win in the Macron Cup at Silsden midweek, bring to an end a run of four successive losses. Burscough are bidding to become the first team in history to win both the FA Vase and FA Trophy, and they beat Armthorpe Welfare 6-0 in the last round. Burscough's best in the Vase came in 1994/95 when they reached the Last 16 before losing to Cammell Laird.
Hanley Town are in great form at present, sitting in 4th place in the Premier Division with eight wins and a draw from their last nine games. Dan Cope is the one to watch, Hanley's leading scorer being in fine form at the minute with nine goals in seven games. They warmed up for this game with a 2-1 win at Padiham last Saturday before a 4-0 win over Stone Old Alleynians in midweek.
They face Godmanchester Rovers, who are facing one of our sides for the very first time. Godmanchester is a small town around 18 miles North West of Cambridge. They play in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, finishing 12th last season, and they are 5th at present in the table. They have lost twice in the last week, bringing to an end a run of seven straight victories from the start of September.
Hanley are still quite new to the Vase. In seven previous campaigns they had won just three games, but so far this season they have beaten Litchfield City 5-1 before a 2-0 win at Gary Langley's favourite team Studley. Hanley will be looking to reach the Second Roudn for the first time. As for Godmanchester, they beat Raunds Town in the last round 1-0, and their best season came in 2011/12 when they reached the Third Round.
Our final game sees City of Liverpool host NCEL First Division side Dronfield Town. After promotion last season and a fine FA Cup run earlier in the season, City of Liverpool are in a poor run of form. They have won just three of their last 11 games and have lost three of their last four games, bowing out of the Macron Cup on Wednesday when they lost at AFC Darwen. They will want to address this slide as quickly as possible, and its an ideal tie for the Purples at home to Dronfield Town.
Dronfield are 18th in their Division which is effectively the league below CoL, and they’ve lost their last four games in a run stretching back to the end of last month. Dronfield's Vase campaign this season has seen them come from behind to progress in both ties so far. In the First Qualifying Round they scored twice in the last 11 minutes to win 3-2 at Worsbrough Bridge Athletic, and then came from two behind at home to Barnton to force extra time in the last round, eventually winning 4-2.
City of Liverpool are in only their second Vase campaign, and their win at AFC Liverpool in the last round was their first win in the competition after losing against Litherland REMYCA last season. Dronfield have only had three previous campaigns themselves, reaching the First Round in their first two seasons in the Vase, meaning that one of these teams will reach the Second Round for the first time.
FA Vase First Round Preview - Saturday 21st October
Fri 20th October 2017 | FA Challenge Vase
By Martin Fallon
The Road To Wembley. The March to the Arch. Whatever you call it, the next stage of the Buildbase FA Vase rolls around this weekend with 14 of our sides looking to take one step closer to Non-League Finals Day at Wembley Stadium next May.
After two Qualifying Rounds, Saturday is the First Round Proper, with teams having to negotiate their way through seven successful rounds to reach the Final. Although it is a national competition, it is regionalised at this stage with five different zones, each increasing in size until the Fifth Round stage when the draw becomes fully national. Most of our teams are in Zone 1 which includes Northern League and Northern Counties East League opponents, with Hanley Town the only one in Zone 2, teams in this from the East Midlands Counties League and Midlands League amongst others.
There are just two all-Hallmark Security League ties, and that is where we will start this preview. The first is an all-Premier Division encounter as Irlam face 1874 Northwich at The Ambitek Stadium. It is Irlam's ninth season in the FA Vase and their best is the Second Round in 2010/11. They currently sit in 13th position in the Premier Division but come into the game having lost three of their last four games, failing to score in all of those losses.
Opponents 1874 Northwich are on a poor run of form at present with just one loss in their last nine games, putting them third from bottom in the current form guide. They are 20th in the league table but due to their fine FA Cup run, have plenty of games in hand on those above them. This is their fifth season in the Vase, with the Third Round being their best in 2014/15. Since then, they have reached the Second Round in every season including last season when they bowed out to Atherton Collieries.
This promises to be a close game if previous meetings have anything to with it. They have met just four times, twice in the First Division in 2013/14 and twice last season in the Premier Division. The first three meetings were all draws, two 1-1's and one goalless, with 1874 winning the last encounter 1-0 at Irlam in November 2016.
The other all-Hallmark Security League tie sees Alsager Town take on Runcorn Town in the battle of the two sides who won Club of the Month in September. This is a quirk of the fixtures computer, with the two sides also facing off in the Macron Cup on Wednesday evening with .
Alsager have lost just one of their last eleven games and lost just three games all season. They sit in fourth place in the First Division, their good start giving them a great platform to mount a promotion challenge over the rest of the season. Alsager reached the Third Round of the Vase two seasons ago, although this is only the fourth time in 14 campaigns that they have reached the First Round proper.
Runcorn Town are flying high at the top of the Premier Division at present, winning eleven of their twelve league games so far. They have lost just twice this season in all competitions, and this will be their first Vase game of the season having received a bye to this round courtesey of their top four finish last season. Runcorn went out at this stage last season, the only time they have gone out this early in seven campaigns, their best being the Fifth Round in 2012/13.
The two sides have met eleven times in the past, with Runcorn Town having the upper hand winning seven of those meetings. They have also never lost at the Woodpark Stadium, winning four and drawing one of the five games played there. Alsager though may have the pyschological advantage having beaten their opponents on Wednesday evening in the Macron Cup.
As well as Runcorn Town, two other sides received a bye to this round, those being Bootle and Runcorn Linnets who finished second and fourth last season. Bootle are third at present in the Premier Division, and in a decent run of form having lost just one of their last seven games, that putting them in seventh place in the form table with two of those six being draws. Bootle have played in the Vase since 1987, their best being the Fourth Round twice, in 2008/09 and 2009/10. Last season they reached the Third Round before losing narrowly at eventual finalists Cleethorpes Town.
Their opponents are Rossington Main of the Northern Counties East League (NCEL). They play in the First Division, effectively the league below Bootle, and are in seventh place at present. They have won just two of their last seven games, both of them coming against Hallam, and one of those in the last round of this competition. Like Bootle, Rossington have a long Vase history going back to 1985, yet this is only the sixth time they have reached the First Round. They have progressed only once, losing in the Second Round in 1988.
Strangely enough, this is the second successive year that these teams have met in the Vase, with the two sides facing each other in the Second Qualifying Round last year at The Welfare Ground. That was the only previous meeting, and saw Bootle win 4-0, with Daniel Murphy, Carl Peers, Ryan Cox and Josh Hamilton all on the scoresheet.
Runcorn Linnets meanwhile face a trip to the North East for the fourth successive season in FA competitions as they visit Team Northumbria. The three previous visits have proved fruitless, but Linnets are in a rich vein of form at present on a ten game unbeaten run of which they have won eight. September Player of the Month Stuart Wellstead has 12 goals in his last 12 games for the club, but seven clean sheets so far this season at the other end show that they are a tough team to score against.
Team Northumbria play in the top division in the Northern League and are in 13th place at present. They have won three and drew three of their last six games, although those three wins have all come at home. That's not to say that their home is a fortress though, as they have won five and lost four of their home games in all competititions so far. One of those wins came against Durham City in the last roun of the Vase which they won 2-0.
Linnets' best run in the Vase is reaching the Third Round which came in 2008/09, and in six of the last seven campaigns they have gone out at this stage. A good run in the Vase is therefore overdue. Team Northumbria have only twice reached this stage of the Vase in nine previous campaigns, with their best also being the Third Round in 2015/16.
Due to the regionalised draw of the Vase, our sides come up against Northern League sides quite often in the competition, and perhaps the hardest task of all lies with AFC Darwen who host Marske United. Darwen sit 16th in the Premier Division at present, but in the form guide they are ninth having lost just one of their last six games. They knocked holders City of Liverpool out of the Macron Cup on Wednesday evening, and they reached this stage with a 4-2 win over Glasshoughton Welfare with leading scorer Mark McKay scoring twice.
Marske currently sit second in the Northern League, and come into the game in great form having won seven of their last eight games. Their defence is their key asset and they have kept seven clean sheets so far out of 20 games played including one on Tuesday evening. They are also good at the other end with 48 goals scored so far, and they beat fellow Northern League sides Ryton & Crawcrook Albion and Seaham Red Star to reach this stage.
This is only Darwen's sixth FA Vase campaign, and they have only progressed past this stage once, that coming in 2014/15 when they reached the Second Round. Marske meanwhile have been entering since 1986 and are two time Quarter Finalists, although they went out at the first hurdle last year to eventual winners South Shields.
Apart from Alsager, the First Division has just one other representive remaining and that is Litherland REMYCA, and they have perhaps the most difficult task of any of our clubs as they travel to Pontefract Collieries. REMYCA have had a great season so far, winning nine of eleven league games to sit third in the table at present. They are also third in the form table, and come into the game on the back of a 6-0 win over Holker Old Boys last week. Their defence is key and they have kept ten clean sheets so far in 16 games this season.
If REMYCA are built on defence, then Pontefract are built on attack. They have won eleven out of twelve league games this season to top the Northern Counties East League, scoring a frankly ridiculous 52 goals in those 12 games. Since losing in the FA Cup in August, they have won 12 straight games, with the front three of Eli Hey,
Michael Dunn and Kane Reece scoring 33 goals between them.
This is only REMYCA's third Vase campaign and they reached this stage last season before losing to Shildon. So far this year they have beaten Ashton Town and Chadderton. Pontefract first entered in 1987, but have only reached this stage five times in their 30 campaigns. Their best is the Second Round which they reached once in 2002/03. They have beaten two Hallmark Security League sides so far, winning 5-1 and 4-1 at Maine Road and Winsford United.
Ashton Athletic have been superb this season, and their cup exploits and 13th position in the table perhaps hide their true form. They have lost just once in their last 13 games, that coming against Conference North side Chorley in the FA Cup, and they’ve also won their last four games scoring 16 goals in the process. This is Ashton's 16th game of the season, their 8th in knockout competitions, and they reached this stage with a win over Maltby Main in the last round.
They face Liversedge who play in the NCEL Premier Division and are not in a great run of form. They’ve won just once in five games, that coming on Tuesday with Andrew Wood hitting a hattrick in a 3-2 win over Hallam. That puts them in 15th place in the table, and they have won twice in the Vase this season, both by the odd goal and both on the road. A 2-1 win at Prestwich Heys was followed up by a 3-2 win AET at Hemsworth Miners Welfare.
This is the first time since 2008/09 that Ashton have reached the First Round of the Vase, and they have gone past this stage just once, that coming in their debut season in 2007/08 when they reached the Third Round. Liversedge played in the very first FA Vase season in 1974/75, and have reached the Third Round on two occassions. More recently, this is only the second time they have reached the First Round since 2010/11.
Including cup matches, Charnock Richard are the most prolific scorers in the Hallmark Security League, their 41 goals in 12 games giving them an average of almost 3.5 goals a game. They have scored three or more goals in ten of those 12 games, and its this striking prowess that has given them a win in nine out of their last eleven games, putting them fifth in the Premier Division with games in hand on all sides above them.
Charnock travel to Bedlington Terriers, who are effectively the league below them in the Northern League Division Two. They are 11th with five wins from 15 games in the league this season, but are in good form having lost just one of their last eight games, with two of those wins coming in the last week. They reached this stage with wins over Campion and Bishop Auckland.
This is only Charnock's second season in the Vase, and they reached the Second Round last season, losing to Staveley Miners Welfare. Bedlington first entered in 1981, and they have a proud FA Vase record. They were losing Finalists to Tiverton Town in 1998/99, and they have reached the Semi Finals twice and Quarter Finals once in other years. More recently, they last reached this round in 2014/15 when they lost to Whitley Bay.
West Didsbury & Chorlton hold the FA Vase record for biggest win, that being a 15-1 win over Dinnington Town two years ago. They continue to score goals to this day, notching 55 so far this season, more than any other team in the Hallmark Security League. Their loss at home to Barlick on Tuesday brought to an end a four game winning run, but they are still 6th in both the league and the form tables.
They host West Auckland Town who are fifth in the Northern League, but they’ve won just one of their last four games, that coming midweek against Whitley Bay. Their high league position is down to some impressive early season form, particularly on the road where they have lost just three of ten games played so far. They also handed Silsden their first defeat of the season in the last round, winning 3-0 in the last round.
This is only West Didsbury's seventh Vase campaign, and they had won just four games in it prior to this season, with the First Round the furthest they have been. They have beaten AFC Blackpool and Stockport Town so far this season in the Vase. As for West Auckland, they have played in the Vase since 1984/85, reaching the Final in 2011/12 and 2012/13. Unfortunately they lost both Finals, and they've struggled in the competition since.
The team that beat West Auckland at Wembley in 2011/12 is fellow Northern League side Dunston UTS, and they host Burscough on Saturday. Dunston are fourth in the Northern League and have won three of their last six games, but come into this game without a win in their last two games, losing at home last Saturday to Seaham and drawing midweek at Sunderland RCA. They have beaten Washington and Barnoldswick so far in this years competition, keeping clean sheets in both games.
Burscough are having a strange old season and are yet to win a league game in 13 attempts, however they have some great wins in cup competitions so will fancy their chances. They will also be boosted by a 3-0 win in the Macron Cup at Silsden midweek, bring to an end a run of four successive losses. Burscough are bidding to become the first team in history to win both the FA Vase and FA Trophy, and they beat Armthorpe Welfare 6-0 in the last round. Burscough's best in the Vase came in 1994/95 when they reached the Last 16 before losing to Cammell Laird.
Hanley Town are in great form at present, sitting in 4th place in the Premier Division with eight wins and a draw from their last nine games. Dan Cope is the one to watch, Hanley's leading scorer being in fine form at the minute with nine goals in seven games. They warmed up for this game with a 2-1 win at Padiham last Saturday before a 4-0 win over Stone Old Alleynians in midweek.
They face Godmanchester Rovers, who are facing one of our sides for the very first time. Godmanchester is a small town around 18 miles North West of Cambridge. They play in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division, finishing 12th last season, and they are 5th at present in the table. They have lost twice in the last week, bringing to an end a run of seven straight victories from the start of September.
Hanley are still quite new to the Vase. In seven previous campaigns they had won just three games, but so far this season they have beaten Litchfield City 5-1 before a 2-0 win at Gary Langley's favourite team Studley. Hanley will be looking to reach the Second Roudn for the first time. As for Godmanchester, they beat Raunds Town in the last round 1-0, and their best season came in 2011/12 when they reached the Third Round.
Our final game sees City of Liverpool host NCEL First Division side Dronfield Town. After promotion last season and a fine FA Cup run earlier in the season, City of Liverpool are in a poor run of form. They have won just three of their last 11 games and have lost three of their last four games, bowing out of the Macron Cup on Wednesday when they lost at AFC Darwen. They will want to address this slide as quickly as possible, and its an ideal tie for the Purples at home to Dronfield Town.
Dronfield are 18th in their Division which is effectively the league below CoL, and they’ve lost their last four games in a run stretching back to the end of last month. Dronfield's Vase campaign this season has seen them come from behind to progress in both ties so far. In the First Qualifying Round they scored twice in the last 11 minutes to win 3-2 at Worsbrough Bridge Athletic, and then came from two behind at home to Barnton to force extra time in the last round, eventually winning 4-2.
City of Liverpool are in only their second Vase campaign, and their win at AFC Liverpool in the last round was their first win in the competition after losing against Litherland REMYCA last season. Dronfield have only had three previous campaigns themselves, reaching the First Round in their first two seasons in the Vase, meaning that one of these teams will reach the Second Round for the first time.
