Kirkham & Wesham v Needham Market
The FA Carlsberg Vase
Semi-Final, First Leg
3pm, Saturday 22 March 2008
Birley Arms, Kirkham & Wesham FC
Click here for fixtures
Kirkham & Wesham FC have proved to be this season's surprise package in The FA Vase.
Not so long ago the Lancashire club were playing in front of a handful of fans at a local park facility, but after dispatching of several teams from higher leagues they find themselves just two games away from the unthinkable - a showpiece Wembley final.
Manager Mick Fuller described his team's journey as "the stuff dreams are made of" but said his team won't be congratulating themselves just yet, with a Wembley final at stake.
"It's a great achievement to get to the Semi-Finals, but with a little bit of luck we can go one stage further and make it to Wembley. I'll be disappointed if we don't go through," said Fuller.
Kirkham & Wesham lie third in Division Two of the Vodkat League, with opponents Needham Market pushing for promotion in the Ridgeons Premier Division.
But Fuller is undaunted by their opponents' lofty league position and said he expects a close encounter.
"I'm not fazed by the fact that they are second in the league above us," he added. "It's going to be a tough game but I have a lot of faith in the players I've got."
Needham Market are still involved in four competitions and face a backlog of fixtures, but manager Danny Laws says his squad are up to the challenge.
"It's been a bit of a balancing act, but it's nothing that we aren't up for and it's just part and parcel of the success we've been having," he explained.
Laws expects to welcome back 31-goal leading scorer Chris Parker for the Semi-Final after a recent spell on the sidelines for him.