Buildbase FA Vase 1st Round Draw

Written by Scott Lanza in Local sport👁 1,663

Tuesday 18 September 2018, 4.32pm

Buildbase FA Vase 1^st Round

Five Essex Senior League sides, along with three from the new Step 6 Eastern Senior League South entered the hat for Monday’s Buildbase 1^st Round draw. Hullbridge Sports don’t enter until the 2^nd Round but the ESL will be guaranteed at least one other club in the next round as Southend Manor and Redbridge were paired together. The Southchurch Park based outfit came through a seven goal thriller with Haverhill Rovers in the last round, with Nathan Dewberry scoring all four of their goals. Redbridge were handed an exemption until this round and have a dress rehearsal of sorts, as they visit Southend Manor this coming Saturday in a league fixture. The two teams then lock horns in the Vase in October.

Takeley have been drawn at home to Wodson Park from the Spartan South Midlands Division One. Takeley play at a higher level and sit near the top of the ESL Premier Division table. But Wodson Park booked their 1^st Round place by beating Barkingside on penalties, having also needing to dig deep to find an equaliser after falling behind to a Joacob Dingli goal. That suggests that Wodson Park have some resolve, but Takeley have home advantage and have also shown a bit of fire power this term.

West Essex face Thurlow Nunn Premier outfit Godmanchester Rovers who have made a good start to their league campaign. West Essex have not made a great start to their league campaign but did get a great away result at Stotfold in the last round; that suggests that they may now be slowly starting to get their engine ticking. The Vase being what it is means that anyone can win this if they bring their A game to the encounter. Sawbrigdeworth Town had an away day at Coggeshall United in the last round; they came through that one with a 4-0 win and they now go on the road again, this time to Leverstock Green. The hosts ply their trade in the Spartan South Midland Premier Division and the respective league tables see both teams currently just under the midway point. This is another cracking Vase tie that could go either way.

Enfield travel to Eastern Senior League South outfit Little Oakley; the hosts make their maiden bow in the 1^st Round and are currently riding high in their league as well. Enfield’s league form as it stands at the moment has seen only one win from their opening five league games. However the ESL side won their last Vase tie away and need to take that resolve with them as Little Oakley are buzzing at the moment and will be up for this one. Newbury Forest, who beat Clapton last time out, are also embarking on their best ever Vase run. Their reward for reaching the 1^st Round for the first time is a home tie with Newport Pagnell Town. Meanwhile May & Baker reached the 1^st Round after stunning Saffron Walden Town in the last qualifying round; they won that one 4-1 and in the 1^st Qualifying Round they breezed past Burnham Ramblers with an 8-1 victory. Not bad going for a team embarking on their first ever FA Vase campaign and the 1^st Round draw paired them off with North Greenford United. The visitors have played in the Southern League as recently as 2015/16 season, but now play their football in the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League. May & Baker have stepped out of Intermediate football to become a Step 6 club and will fight tooth and nail to make sure their dream Vase debut continues when the draw for the 2^nd Round is made on Monday 15^th October.