Wroxham spring upset to seal a place in the Semi-Final.
Needham Market 1-2 Wroxham
The FA Carlsberg Vase
Sixth Round Proper
3pm, Saturday 27 February
Bloomfields, Needham Market FC
Winning clubs receive £5000 from The FA's prize fund
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Norfolk’s Wroxham came out on top in a battle of Norfolk versus Suffolk to cause an FA Vase Sixth Round Proper upset in East Anglia.
Steve Spriggs 73rd minute strike sealed Wroxham’s place in the last four of the competition, after a closely fought encounter in front of 601 fans at Needham’s Bloomfields ground.
Wroxham looked on course for victory after taking a first-half lead through Shaun Howes, but were pegged back by Damian Hilton’s 69th minute penalty for the hosts.
But Spriggs proved the hero for Wroxham, firing them to an FA Vase Semi-Final place 17 minutes from full-time.
Needham, who have a strong FA Vase pedigree in recent seasons, will be disappointed to exit the competition at this stage having started the tie as favourites.
The Suffolk side reached the Semi-Final stage of the competition in 2008 and arrived at the Sixth Round Proper last season before seeing their progress ended by Chalfont St Peter.
However, this year their Eastern Counties Premier League rivals proved too strong on the day.
Needham sit the second in the league standings but were unable to defeat Wroxham the last time the sides met - a goalless draw in December.
The chance of a dressed rehearsal was dashed when Tuesday’s Eastern Counties Premier League quarter final tie between the sides was postponed, and today both sides started the game in bright fashion.
After promising passages of play at both ends, it was Wroxham who took the lead through Howes on 22 minutes. The visitors remained one goal ahead at half-time but saw Needham mount a comeback after the restart.
The experienced Hilton finally levelled the scores, from the penalty spot, and the game looked finely poised with 21 minutes to play.
The hosts were level for just four minutes though, as Spriggs struck the winning goal to leave the small Norfolk town of Wroxham dreaming of a May trip to Wembley.
