The FA Vase in partnership with Carlsberg
Sixth Round Proper
Saturday 4 March 2006
Winning clubs receive £4,000



Cammell Laird produced a stirring second half comeback to power into the semi-finals of The FA Vase for the first time in the club's history.

Shaken by a half-time dressing down from manager Ian Doran and inspired by a virtuoso performance from second half sub Anthony Hargreaves, the Battleships dominated the second half of their quarter- final clash with Newmarket Town to emerge with a deserved 2-1 win.

Cammell's leading marksman Ronnie Morgan got Cammell Laird back on level terms after they had conceded the opener in first half injury time.

Newmarket Town would have been forgiven for thinking their name was on the Cup after being reinstated to the competition after losing a fourth round replay to Welwyn Garden City and then going on to despatch favourites Winchester City 4-3 at the aristocratic Hampshire side's fortress.

And they were still daring to dream after Paul Shaw's bullet header gave them the lead on half time. But Manager Doran - who played in the Lairds side that reached the quarter-finals in 1995 - was not in a philosophical mood.

Cammell Laird were unrecognisable after the break and once Moran pounced to bag the equaliser, there was only one side in it. Newmarket clung on, but the Lairds slick football ran them ragged and John Collins clinched it five minutes from time when he powered in the influential Hargreaves'corner.

If Cammell Laird boast a goal scoring machine, so too do Spartan South Midlands Premier League Hillingdon Borough, who produced a no-nonsense 2-0 win over North West Counties Division One Squires Gate.

By all accounts Dave Lawrence was anonymous for long periods of the tie at Hillingdon's Middlesex Stadium, but the sharpshooter took his competition tally to 10 when he beat the off side trap, drew keeper Ben Morris and lobbed clinically into the far corner.

Playmaker Danny Tilbury set the seal on a comfortable win with a thunderous volley in the 77th minute. 

Crook Town's wonderful run in the competition came to an end when they were unfortunate to go down 1-0 at home to a resolute  Bury Town.

The odds were against them from the moment they lost former Darlington striker Danny Mellanby who fell awkwardly on the iron hard surface and soon after James Tatham scored for the visitors with their only shot on goal in the period.

Urged on by a vociferous crowd of 2,000, ex Crystal Palace defender Dean Gordon fizzed a shot past the post, Karl Everett saw his goal-bound drive sensationally tipped round a post by outstanding keeper Paul Barber and Sam Vernall'scross-shot was headed off the line.

But it was not to be. The clash between North West Counties Division One Nantwich Town and Northern Counties East Premier League Pickering Town was postponed due to the inclement weather.