A look at the action in The Vase from Sunday.
The FA Vase, sponsored by Carlsberg
First Round Qualifying
Sunday 6 September
Winning clubs receive £800
Click here for results
Bishop Auckland and Manchester United are not often mentioned in the same sentence, but Colin Myers has clearly been taking tips from Sir Alex Ferguson.
Myers, in charge at Darlington Road since February, saw his side make it through The FA Vase’s First Qualifying Round against a determined Billingham Town team this afternoon, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Steven Salavin, but it was a victory where the result mattered far more than the performance.
That evoked echoes of Manchester United, where Ferguson has long been the master at seeing his side grind out victories despite playing below their best.
And the links between the clubs do not end there, as Bishop Auckland are currently storing Old Trafford’s old floodlights, which will be installed in their new, £250,000 stadium when they move in next season.
They were a gift from United when they redeveloped Old Trafford this summer, in thanks for Bishop Auckland lending them three players in the aftermath of the Munich air disaster in 1958.
And, in true Ferguson style, Myers is hoping the victory over Billingham will kickstart his side’s season.
“Like Manchester United have done in the past, we’ve not played well but we’ve won,” said a delighted Myers.
“We barely turned up in the first-half, and then saw Mark Hanson get sent-off for two yellow cards – but it was only after we went down to ten men that we started to play.
“And we grabbed a great goal with ten minutes to go, Steven Salavin flicking home a header into the corner. We’re all just delighted, hopefully this victory can be a catalyst for our season.”
Yet Myers is well aware of the importance of The FA Vase to the club, which won The FA Amateur Cup ten times between 1896 and 1957.
“We’re world-famous for what we’ve done in the past in these competitions,” he added.
“If we were to go on another run now, the excitement around the town would be tremendous.
“Crowds would be up by thousands rather than hundreds, and you know how much it would mean to everyone. We want to make that happen.”
Elsewhere, the most impressive performance of the day came from Brimsdown Rovers, who were superb as they thrashed Buckingham Athletic 6-0, while Cambridge Regional College beat Huntingdon Town 5-1.
Holmesdale also recorded a 5-1 win at Fletham, while Dotshill Colts beat Barrow Town 1-0 and Biddulph Victoria got the better of a tight game, edging out Leek CSOB 2-1.