UCL Review 2014-2015

FA VASE REVIEW: TIGERS REACH LAST SIXTEEN

Holbeach were our best performers in the FA Vase, equalling their best ever run in the competition by reaching the Fifth Round. Yaxley likewise matched their best previous performance by reaching Round Four along with Thurnby whose best ever run ended with a dramatic defeat against the Tigers. Thrapston were first onto the national stage with a Friday night visit to Crawley Green in a First Qualifying Round tie, losing 3-1 in extra time. A further seventeen clubs entered the fray the following day. The draw threw up four all domestic ties, just one between teams in different divisions. Newport Pagnell saw off Bugbrooke 3-1 with a Josh Crawley double and Dom Lawless clincher. An all Premier tie saw AFC Kempston repeat their FA Cup defeat of Sileby, Grant Fryer, Alex Stoyles, Taylor Orosz and Billy Pinney all on target in a 4- 0 Walnut Boys victory. In all Division One clashes Northampton Spencer saw off visiting Whitworth 3-1, Matt Long, Luke Stone (penalty) and Jack Bartley on the mark for the Millers, while an extra time double from Ben Foster gave Woodford a 2-0 win at Raunds. Only two clubs progressed against outside opposition at the first attempt. Scott Carter and Rob Hughes gave Yaxley a 2-0 home win over Swaffham while Thurnby pipped former East Midlands Counties rivals Greenwood Meadows 2-1 with goals from Celson Patrocinio and Ash Day. A trio of clubs bowed out and four more had to settle for replays. Burton Park, making their first appearance in the Vase for two decades, celebrated their return with a 4-2 replay shootout win at Buckingham Athletic after a 3-3 draw which saw Liam Nicell score twice and Leigh Chapman once, while Potton also enjoyed their first Vase win in years, 2-1 at Winslow with Gary Ansell-Carter and Courtney Boughton on the scoresheet. Irchester lost 3-1 at Staines Lammas, but their hosts admitted fielding an ineligible player in the first meeting so the Romans were awarded the tie. October kicked off with 21 clubs involved in Second Qualifying Round ties and six were in direct opposition. A classic encounter saw Thurnby get the better of Harrowby 8-4 at Dakyn Road despite Martin Wormall’s four goal haul for the visitors. Ash Day, Matt Melbourne and Brett Marvin scored two apiece for Nirvana who also had Pearson Mwanyongo and Reece Morris on target. Holbeach’s run started with a low key 2-0 home win over Blackstones, Jake Duffy scoring both for the Tigers, while goals from Karl Gibbs and Dan Cotton saw Yaxley pip Sleaford 2-1. It was a good day for Peterborough sides with Northern Star thrashing Team Bury 6-0 with three goals from Phil Stebbing, two from Avelino Vieira and one from Jonny Clay, while Vase debutants Peterborough Sports beat Thetford 3-1 with a Dan Clements brace and Ali Nyang effort. AFC Kempston were 3-0 derby winners at Bedford with Dom Marsala, Nyasha Sagwete and Scott Joseph on the scoresheet. Elliott Putman and Chris Hollist gave Oadby a 2-0 verdict at home to Retford while Irchester succeeded where Thrapston had failed beating Crawley Green 3-1 with Jack Dyson scoring all three. The survivors from the qualifying rounds were joined by the first exempt clubs in Round One, and after a couple of slightly disappointing rounds fortunes improved at this stage with nine out of eleven clubs progressing. The two exempt clubs both kicked off with wins over Thurlow Nunn opposition. Huntingdon went through 3-0 at Woodbridge with Louie Medwynter, Declan Rogers and Dan Newman on target in Suffolk while Deeping were single goal winners at home to Wivenhoe with Joe Braithwaite the matchwinner. Oadby were beaten 5-0 at a Shepshed side managed by their former boss Jeff Stocking while Irchester’s run ended in a 4-0 reverse at home to Fakenham. Northampton Spencer made it nine clubs through with a 1-0 replay win over higher grade Biggleswade United, Ryan Dove the matchwinner.

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