West head to Northwich Victoria, looking to reach the FA Cup First Qualifying Round for the first time in the club’s history.

Key details

� Friday 19th August 2022, 7:45pm
� FA Cup Preliminary Round
� Wincham Park, Northwich, CW9 6DA (Witton Albion FC)
� £7 / £5 / 12-16 y/o £2 / U12s free
� Northwich (1.3 miles)
� Replay at West on Tuesday 23rd August if scores are level at full time

Preview

Chris Rowley’s side suffered a first defeat of the season at Vauxhall Motors in midweek, but there would be no better response than to write their names into the West history books and progress past the FA Cup Preliminary Round.

West have fallen at this hurdle on five occasions, most recently against Stalybridge Celtic in 2019/20. This latest opportunity was set up by the Extra Preliminary Round win at Longridge Town, with Ben Hampson’s first goal for West enough to settle the tie at the first time of asking.

Fellow NWCFL Premier Division side Northwich Victoria eliminated Squires Gate to reach this stage. That was followed by an impressive league win at early high-fliers AFC Liverpool, before a derby draw at Winsford United – which, added to an opening-day defeat at home to Avro, means Vics have a single mark in each of the win, draw and loss columns.

Vics’ FA Cup history stretches back to 1883 and they reached the Fourth Round Proper in 1976/77, bowing out to Oldham Athletic. But more recently, they have only made it past the Preliminary Round once since a Second Round Proper appearance in 2015/16. They exited at this stage to Clitheroe last season.

Selected other FA Cup ties

Saturday
Avro v Albion Sports
Bishop Auckland v Kendal Town
Clitheroe v Colne
Congleton Town v Bootle
Hanley Town v Hinckley Leicester Road
Leek Town v Atherstone Town
Prestwich Heys v Stocksbridge Park Steels
Mossley v Macclesfield
Ramsbottom United v City of Liverpool
Sheffield v Glossop North End
Silsden v Charnock Richard
Skelmersdale United v Prescot Cables
Trafford v Runcorn Linnets
West Allotment Celtic v Workington
Witton Albion v Tividale

Sunday
Bury AFC v Widnes

NWCFL Premier Division fixtures

Saturday
Litherland REMYCA v Ashton Athletic
Lower Breck v Irlam
Squires Gate v Longridge Town
Vauxhall Motors v FC Isle of Man

Sunday
Burscough v Barnoldswick Town