FA VASE FOURTH ROUND PREVIEW

The Fourth Round of the FA Vase takes place this coming Saturday 22nd January 2011 with some really interesting fixtures as a number of teams make some very long almost nationwide journeys on their quest to reach the final at Wembley Stadium.

FA VASE FOURTH ROUND FIXTURE LIST 

Dunstable Town             v Willand Rovers 
Bloxwich United            v Torpoint Athletic
Leverstock Green           v Bemerton Heath Harlequins 
Gresley                    v St Neots Town
Norton & Stockton Ancients v Kings Lynn Town
Holbrook Sports            v Lancing 
Poole Town                 v St Ives Town 
Bitton AFC                 v Coalville Town 
Bodmin Town                v Stansted 
Long Buckby                v Ashington
Herne Bay                  v Whitley Bay 
Guildford City             v Leiston 
Cadbury Heath              v Spennymoor Town 
Staveley MW                v Rye United 
Runcorn Town               v Dunston UTS 
Billingham Synthonia       v Tadcaster Albion 

LEAGUES REPRESENTED IN FOURTH ROUND (All Step 5 unless step 6 as stated)

SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS (2)        TOOLSTATION WESTERN LEAGUE (3) 
Dunstable Town                    Willand Rovers
Levertstock Green                 Bitton AFC
                                  Cadbury Heath (Division 1) *Step 6
ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE (1)               
Stansted                          WEST MIDLANDS LEAGUE (1) 
                                  Bloxwich 
UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE (4)
St Neots Town                     CARLSBERG SOUTH WEST (2)
Kings Lynn Town                   Bodmin Town 
Long Buckby                       Torpoint Athletic 
St Ives Town                      
                                  EAST MIDLANDS COUNTIES (2)
SYDENHAMS WESSEX LEAGUE (2)       Gresley 
Bemerton Heath Harlequins         Holdbrook Sports 
Poole Town 
                                  EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE (1)
STL NORTHERN LEAGUE (6)           Leiston  
Norton and Stockton Ancients 
Ashington                         SUSSEX COUNTY LEAGUE (2)
Whitley Bay                       Rye United
Spennymoor Town                   Lancing (Div 2) *Step 6 
Dunston UTS 
Billingham Synthonia              MIDLAND ALLIANCE (1)
                                  Coalville
KENT FOOTBALL LEAGUE (1)
Herne Bay                         COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE (1) 
                                  Guilford City 
NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST LEAGUE (2) 
Tadcaster Albion                  VODKAT LEAGUE (1)
Staveley MW (Div 1) *Step 6       Runcorn Town (Div 1) *Step 6

CURRENT FA VASE BETTING MARKET WITH skybet.com(TOP EIGHT)

Spennymoor        5/2 
St Neots Town     3/1 
Whitley Bay       6/1 
Kings Lynn Town   9/1
Tadcaster Albion 14/1
Gresley          14/1 
Poole Town       16/1
Dunston UTS      20/1 

The odds have changed somewhat since the cold end first wrote about the FA Vase last year. St Neots Town who were 10/1 (which was advised as good odds) have been trimmed in to 3/1 and Spenymoor who were 7/1 favourites are now 5/2 favourites.

The Saints travel to 14/1 shots Gresley in what is one of the ties of the round. Gresley FC (who were formed when former finalists Gresley Rovers folded at the end of the 2008/09 season) play in the East Midlands Counties League and are currently in third place on 41 points from 19 games. To get to this stage they have beaten Heanor Town (H 2-0) and Busteholme (H 4-2) and they have a pretty formidable home record in league and cup competitive games this season. They have won 13 (of 16) drawn 1 and lost 2 scoring 58 goals and letting in 15.  It looks on paper to be big spending St Neots Town toughest test of the season so far which has seen them lose only one game (only narrowly 2-3 in the FA CUP to Leiston).

Two teams still remain representing the Spartan South Midlands League. Dunstable Town (25/1 to win the Vase) welcome Toolstation Western League side Willand Rovers to Creasey Park. Town have reserved their best form for the competition this season as they are down in 15th place in their league with their visitors from Devon riding high in third place challenging for the championship in their league.

Leverstock Green (sixth in the SSML Premier and currently rated at 40/1) face Wessex League side Bemerton Heath Harlequins at Pancake Lane. Harlequins are third in their respective league and are 50/1 to lift the Vase. Expect a very close game in Hertfordshire on Saturday.

Another Wessex League side in Poole Town (who are 2nd but could be considered favourites with their games in hand over current table toppers Winchester City) entertain St Ives Town who are one of the four United Counties League sides left.

The remaining Essex Senior League side (and 1984 winners of the Vase) make the longest trip they have made for many a year with the 500 mile + journey down to Cornwall to play Carlseberg South West Leaguer's Bodmin Town. The airport men are unbeaten in the league and if they win their games in hand have a chance of giving current leader's Enfield FC 1893 a fight for the championship. They have only lost four competitive games against Bodmin Town's three loses so it'll be a close game at Priory Park.

Other games which stand out for the cold end are current holders Whitley Bay travelling to the Kent coast to face current Kent League leaders Herne Bay. Who will win the North/South battle of the seaside towns??

And, one of the four Step 6 sides left in the competition Cadbury Heath of the Toolstation Western League Division One welcoming current favourites Spennymoor to their home ground Springfield. Could they achieve the unexpected and get a shock result agianst the Northern League side??

Link to the thefa.com FA Vase news page.