Key details

Saturday 10th October 2020
⏰ 3pm
The Step Places Stadium, Brookburn Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 8FE
FA Vase 2nd qualifying round
� Penalty shoot-out if scores are level after 90 minutes
� Sold out – no admission without a ticket

West are back on the Wembley trail this weekend, with Charnock Richard standing in the way between Chris Rowley’s side and a place in the FA Vase first round proper.

Rowley’s team have started this season excellently, knocking Bury AFC out of this competition before claiming their first three points of the season at home to Stockport Town last weekend. However, Charnock promise to provide a stiff examination of West’s credentials.

The West Lancashire side have excelled at NWCFL Premier Division level since their promotion in 2017, registering two top-six finishes before sitting fourth at the time of 2019/20’s suspension. The Greens have been frustrated in their bid to start their league campaign this time around, with poor weather scuppering games against Northwich Victoria and Longridge Town, but they have already won three competitive games this season. They beat Barton Town 3-0 to reach this stage of the Vase, and saw off Athersley Recreation and Northwich Vics in the FA Cup before falling to Longridge.

Even the most casual follower of the NWCFL will be aware of the Greens’ main threat – Carl Grimshaw continues to score with robotic regularity, already plundering four goals this term after scoring 38 times in 38 games last season. West fans will be particularly mindful of his threat, with Grimshaw scoring in all four fixtures against West since the sides’ first meeting in March 2018.

A West win will set up a sixth attempt at progressing past the Vase first round proper. The Greens’ best run came in their 2016/17 Vase debut, reaching the second round before a home defeat to Staveley Miners Welfare.

Last time we met

Saturday 16th February 2019, NWCFL Premier Division

West 1 (Bailey pen 39)
Charnock Richard 2 (Grimshaw 8, Oxley 44)
Att: 407

West: Burgess, Marsh (Dixon 79), Pearson, Sergeant, Eiselt, Horner, Miranda (Shanganya 68), Eckersley, Bailey, Coombes (Tsegaye 75), McLaughlin. Not used: Tinker, Shaw.

Other fixtures

Other FA Vase ties featuring sides from the First Division South:

Friday 9th October
AFC Liverpool v Maine Road

Saturday 10th October
Cheadle Town v Dronfield Town
Abbey Hulton United v Ashby Ivanhoe
Avro v Abbey Hey
Bacup Borough v Stockport Town
Cammell Laird v Maltby Main
Dudley Town v Stone Old Alleynians
Eccleshall P-P Hanley Town
New Mills v Winterton Rangers
Penistone Church v Wythenshawe Amateurs
Rugby Town v Ellesmere Rangers

There is also one First Division South fixture on Saturday, as St Martins host Cheadle Heath Nomads.