FA Vase Second Qualifying Round Preview
Thu 2nd October 2014 | FA Challenge Vase | By Ian Templeman
25 of our clubs hit the cup trail this weekend, in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Vase.
Like the last round, the draw has largely paired our clubs with teams from other leagues, with only three all-NWCFL ties.
Candidate for game of the day is at Alder House, where Atherton Collieries, top of Division One with a 100% record, host AFC Liverpool who sit in fourth place in the Premier Division.
In the other two ties Abbey Hey make the short trip to Chadderton and on Sunday 1874 Northwich meet Wigan Robin Park for the first ever time.
12 of our clubs face opponents from the Northern Counties East League, eight at home and four away, and there’s a mixture of familiar and not so familiar names.
If form was anything to go by, the club with the best chance of progress would be Ashton Town, who travel to face Hallam, currently bottom of the NCEL Division One with no points from ten games. But history is on the side of the Sheffield club, who in 2007-08 travelled to Ashton at the same stage of the competition and emerged with a 3-1 win.
Rochdale Town travel to Bottesford Town, mindful that they lost 2-1 at the same venue in the First Round in 2012-13, and Widnes make their first ever appearance in the competition at AFC Emley, who keep up a remarkable run of drawing our clubs at home in FA competitions. Widnes’s visit will be the seventh time in seven years that one of our clubs has travelled to the Welfare Ground on Vase business, and for good measure, in the same period six of our clubs have gone there in the FA Cup too.
Runcorn Town’s good record of success in the Vase in recent years will be tested at Athersley Recreation, who knocked Winsford United out of the FA Cup at the Barton Stadium a few weeks ago, and after knocking Stockport Sports out of the competition in the previous round, Selby Town will be looking to repeat the dose when Bacup & Rossendale Borough visit North Yorkshire.
Armthorpe Welfare host Bootle looking for a Merseyside “hat trick”, with the Doncaster club having knocked AFC Liverpool out of the Vase in each of the past two seasons.
In the games where our clubs host NCEL opponents, there’s a West Yorkshire derby at the Angel Telecom Stadium where Silsden host Garforth Town. The Cobbydalers won their first Vase tie in six years when they beat Brandon United and can look to finally get revenge for a 3-0 defeat at Garforth in the First Round in 2006-07.
Ashton Athletic host Shaw Lane Aquaforce and a few miles away Daisy Hill welcome Albion Sports. In both instances the visitors are doing well in the NCEL Premier Division and are playing NWCFL opponents in FA competitions for the first time.
Conversely, Rossington Main's trip to West Didsbury & Chorlton sees them face NWCFL opponents for the fourth time in five consecutive FA Vase ties, and having been knocked out of the competition by West on their own ground last season the Doncaster side will need little motivation for their trip to Brookburn Road.
Winsford United welcome Hemsworth Miners Welfare and should be mindful that Pontefract club's away form has been far better than their home form this season, while St Helens Town play on Sunday against Nostell Miners Welfare who were knocked out of the FA Cup by Stockport Sports in August.
Five of our clubs face opponents from the Northern League. Colne's reward for beating another Northern League club Penrith in the last round is a home tie against Heaton Stannington, who travel down from Newcastle to face NWCFL opponents for the first time in an FA competition, and indeed are playing their first Vase tie since 1993-94.
Holker Old Boys also saw off Northern League opponents in Norton & Stockton Ancients in the last round, and as a result Durham City make the trip across country to Rakesmoor Lane, facing NWCFL opposition in the Vase for the first time since 2005-06 when they lost 4-2 at home to Trafford.
Unlike many of the other clubs already mentioned, Washington have managed to avoid NWCFL opposition in the Vase for 10 years, but they reacquaint themselves with a trip to AFC Darwen.
Nelson's record in the FA Vase last season was won one and lost one in the North East, and they will fancy their chances against West Allotment Celtic, who are third bottom of the Northern League Division One
Likewise, fellow East Lancastrians Barnoldswick Town will start as favourites when they travel to Sunderland to take on Ryhope CA, who are 13th in the Northern League Division Two.
As is often the case, our Staffordshire clubs are facing opponents from the Midlands who have no history of playing NWCFL opposition.
Eccleshall play host to Atherstone Town from the Midland Football League Division Oneat Pershall Park, a welcome home tie after four successive away ties in the Midlands in recent years, and Hanley Town have a tough introduction to the FA Vase as they travel to face Sporting Khalsa, who are currently second in the Premier Division of the West Midlands Regional League.
Good luck to all our clubs on Saturday and let's hope we have plenty of representatives in the draw for the next round.
FA Vase Second Qualifying Round Preview
Thu 2nd October 2014 | FA Challenge Vase
By Ian Templeman
25 of our clubs hit the cup trail this weekend, in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Vase.
Like the last round, the draw has largely paired our clubs with teams from other leagues, with only three all-NWCFL ties.
Candidate for game of the day is at Alder House, where Atherton Collieries, top of Division One with a 100% record, host AFC Liverpool who sit in fourth place in the Premier Division.
In the other two ties Abbey Hey make the short trip to Chadderton and on Sunday 1874 Northwich meet Wigan Robin Park for the first ever time.
12 of our clubs face opponents from the Northern Counties East League, eight at home and four away, and there’s a mixture of familiar and not so familiar names.
If form was anything to go by, the club with the best chance of progress would be Ashton Town, who travel to face Hallam, currently bottom of the NCEL Division One with no points from ten games. But history is on the side of the Sheffield club, who in 2007-08 travelled to Ashton at the same stage of the competition and emerged with a 3-1 win.
Rochdale Town travel to Bottesford Town, mindful that they lost 2-1 at the same venue in the First Round in 2012-13, and Widnes make their first ever appearance in the competition at AFC Emley, who keep up a remarkable run of drawing our clubs at home in FA competitions. Widnes’s visit will be the seventh time in seven years that one of our clubs has travelled to the Welfare Ground on Vase business, and for good measure, in the same period six of our clubs have gone there in the FA Cup too.
Runcorn Town’s good record of success in the Vase in recent years will be tested at Athersley Recreation, who knocked Winsford United out of the FA Cup at the Barton Stadium a few weeks ago, and after knocking Stockport Sports out of the competition in the previous round, Selby Town will be looking to repeat the dose when Bacup & Rossendale Borough visit North Yorkshire.
Armthorpe Welfare host Bootle looking for a Merseyside “hat trick”, with the Doncaster club having knocked AFC Liverpool out of the Vase in each of the past two seasons.
In the games where our clubs host NCEL opponents, there’s a West Yorkshire derby at the Angel Telecom Stadium where Silsden host Garforth Town. The Cobbydalers won their first Vase tie in six years when they beat Brandon United and can look to finally get revenge for a 3-0 defeat at Garforth in the First Round in 2006-07.
Ashton Athletic host Shaw Lane Aquaforce and a few miles away Daisy Hill welcome Albion Sports. In both instances the visitors are doing well in the NCEL Premier Division and are playing NWCFL opponents in FA competitions for the first time.
Conversely, Rossington Main's trip to West Didsbury & Chorlton sees them face NWCFL opponents for the fourth time in five consecutive FA Vase ties, and having been knocked out of the competition by West on their own ground last season the Doncaster side will need little motivation for their trip to Brookburn Road.
Winsford United welcome Hemsworth Miners Welfare and should be mindful that Pontefract club's away form has been far better than their home form this season, while St Helens Town play on Sunday against Nostell Miners Welfare who were knocked out of the FA Cup by Stockport Sports in August.
Five of our clubs face opponents from the Northern League. Colne's reward for beating another Northern League club Penrith in the last round is a home tie against Heaton Stannington, who travel down from Newcastle to face NWCFL opponents for the first time in an FA competition, and indeed are playing their first Vase tie since 1993-94.
Holker Old Boys also saw off Northern League opponents in Norton & Stockton Ancients in the last round, and as a result Durham City make the trip across country to Rakesmoor Lane, facing NWCFL opposition in the Vase for the first time since 2005-06 when they lost 4-2 at home to Trafford.
Unlike many of the other clubs already mentioned, Washington have managed to avoid NWCFL opposition in the Vase for 10 years, but they reacquaint themselves with a trip to AFC Darwen.
Nelson's record in the FA Vase last season was won one and lost one in the North East, and they will fancy their chances against West Allotment Celtic, who are third bottom of the Northern League Division One
Likewise, fellow East Lancastrians Barnoldswick Town will start as favourites when they travel to Sunderland to take on Ryhope CA, who are 13th in the Northern League Division Two.
As is often the case, our Staffordshire clubs are facing opponents from the Midlands who have no history of playing NWCFL opposition.
Eccleshall play host to Atherstone Town from the Midland Football League Division Oneat Pershall Park, a welcome home tie after four successive away ties in the Midlands in recent years, and Hanley Town have a tough introduction to the FA Vase as they travel to face Sporting Khalsa, who are currently second in the Premier Division of the West Midlands Regional League.
Good luck to all our clubs on Saturday and let's hope we have plenty of representatives in the draw for the next round.
