2018 FA Vase final

2018 FA Vase Final
Wembley Stadium hosted the final
Event2017–18 FA Vase
Stockton Town Thatcham Town
0 1
Date20 May 2018
VenueWembley Stadium, Wembley, London
RefereeJohn Brooks
Attendance31,430
WeatherSunny
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The 2018 FA Vase Final was the 44th final of the Football Association's cup competition for teams at levels 9–11 of the English football league system. The match was contested between Stockton Town, of the Northern League Division One, and Thatcham Town, of the Hellenic League Premier Division. This was the first time both teams had reached the final and the first visit to Wembley Stadium for both sides. The final of the FA Trophy was played on the same day at the same venue for the third year running, as part of the FA's Non-League Finals Day.[1] Both matches were televised in the UK on BT Sport.

Stockton Town began their campaign in the second qualifying round, with a victory over Consett. They proceeded to defeat Whickham, Bootle, City of Liverpool, West Auckland Town, Stourport Swifts, Windsor and Marske United en route to the final.

Thatcham Town started in the first round of the competition, where they defeated Horsham YMCA. Victories over Broadbridge Heath, Sevenoaks Town, Biggleswade, Bromsgrove Sporting, Melksham Town and 1874 Northwich saw them reach the final.

Background

The final will be the first appearance for both sides in a national cup final.

Stockton Town play their league football in the Northern League Division One, following promotion from the second division in the previous season. The 2017–18 season was their first season at level nine of the pyramid and only their third season playing in the FA Vase since their first appearance in the 1982–83 season. Their best run in the competition was reaching the second round in the 2016–17 season.[2]

Thatcham Town play in the Hellenic League Premier Division. Thatcham won the league prior to the final on goal difference, finishing on 98 points, to earn promotion to the Southern Football League. They won thirty-one of their thirty-eight league matches, drawing five and losing just two. They embarked on a forty match unbeaten run, in all competitions, before the final - ending with a 2–1 defeat against Binfield two games before to the final.[3][4] Their previous best run in the competition was a quarter-final appearance in the 1988–89 season, where they were defeated by Berkshire rivals Hungerford Town.[5]

Route to the final

Stockton Town

23 November 2017 Second round qualifying Stockton Town 4–3 (a.e.t.) Consett Stockton-On-Tees
15:00 Stadium: Bishopton Road West
Attendance: 212
21 October 2017 First round Whickham 0–2 Stockton Town Whickham
15:00 Stadium: The Glebe Sports Ground
Attendance: 84
11 November 2017 Second round Stockton Town 4–2 (a.e.t.) Bootle Stockton-On-Tees
15:00 Stadium: Bishopton Road West
Attendance: 360
2 December 2017 Third round Stockton Town 1–0 City of Liverpool Stockton-On-Tees
15:00 Stadium: Bishopton Road West
Attendance: 527
6 January 2018 Forth round Stockton Town 2–1 (a.e.t.) West Auckland Town Stockton-On-Tees
15:00 Stadium: Bishopton Road West
Attendance: 537
3 February 2018 Fifth round Stockton Town 3-0 Stourport Swifts Stockton-On-Tees
15:00 Stadium: Bishopton Road West
Attendance: 663
24 February 2018 Quarter-final Stockton Town 2–0 Windsor Stockton-On-Tees
15:00 Stadium: Bishopton Road West
Attendance: 1,213
17 March 2018 Semi-final First Leg Marske United 0–2 Stockton Town Stockton-On-Tees
15:00 Rowbotham 12' (o.g.)
Woodhouse 44'		 Stadium: Bishopton Road West
Attendance: 1,502
Note: Match played at Bishopton Road West, Stockton due to Marske United's ground being waterlogged.
24 March 2018 Semi-final Second Leg Stockton Town 1–2
(3–2 agg.)		 Marske United Stockton-On-Tees
15:00 Mulligan 41' (pen.) O’Sullivan 8'
Fairley 56'		 Stadium: Bishopton Road West
Attendance: 1,800
Note: Stockton Town won 3–2 on aggregate

Thatcham Town

21 October 2017 First round Thatcham Town 2–1 Horsham YMCA Thatcham
15:00 White 71'
Johnson 81'		 Report Schaaf 17' Stadium: Waterside Park
Attendance: 96
11 November 2017 Second round Thatcham Town 8–2 Broadbridge Heath Thatcham
15:00 Cooper-Clark 4', 58', 70'
Grant 10'
Helmore 60', 65'
Miller 78'
Browne 87'		 Report Campbell 61'
Frankland 90'		 Stadium: Waterside Park
Attendance: 120
2 December 2017 Third round Thatcham Town 3–1 Sevenoaks Town Thatcham
15:00 Cooper-Clark 33', 37'
Elliott 65'		 Report Carnegie 59' Stadium: Waterside Park
Attendance: 145
6 January 2018 Forth round Thatcham Town 2–1 Biggleswade Thatcham
15:00 Grant 24'
Jarra 78'		 Report George 30' (pen.) Stadium: Waterside Park
Attendance: 216
3 February 2018 Fifth round Thatcham Town 2–1 Bromsgrove Sporting Thatcham
15:00 Elliott 18', 27' Report Gregory 35' (pen.) Stadium: Waterside Park
Attendance: 701
24 February 2018 Quarter-final Melksham Town 0–1 Thatcham Town Melksham
15:00 Report Elliott 89' Stadium: Oakfield Stadium
Attendance: 2,208
17 March 2018 Semi-final First Leg Thatcham Town 1–0 1874 Northwich Thatcham
15:00 Cook 4' (pen.) Report Stadium: Waterside Park
Attendance: 1,134
24 March 2018 Semi-final Second Leg 1874 Northwich 2–3
(2–4 agg.)		 Thatcham Town Winsford
15:00 McGowan 44' (pen.)
Woolley 69'		 Report James 3', 22'
Cooper-Clark 47'		 Stadium: Barton Stadium
Attendance: 1,693

Match

Details

Stockton Town0–1Thatcham Town
Report Cooper-Clark 24' (pen.)
Attendance: 31,430
Referee: John Brooks
1 England Michael Arthur
2 England Joe Carter downward-facing red arrow 61'
3 England James Ward downward-facing red arrow 79'
4 England Nathan Mulligan
5 England Dale Mulligan
6 England Tom Coulthard (C)
7 England Kevin Hayes
9 England Fred Woodhouse
10 England Jamie Owens
11 England James Risborough
15 England Chris Stockton downward-facing red arrow 66'
Substitutes:
12 England Adam Nicholson upward-facing green arrow 79'
14 England Sonni Coleman upward-facing green arrow 66'
16 England Matthew Garbutt upward-facing green arrow 61'
17 England Alan Cossavella
18 England Chris Dunwell
Manager:
England Michael Dunwell
1 England Chris Rackley
2 England Lewis Brownhill
3 England Curtis Angell
4 England Tom Melledew downward-facing red arrow 83'
5 England Baboucarr Jarra
6 England Tom Moran
8 England Harrison Bayley
9 England Shane Cooper-Clark downward-facing red arrow 78'
10 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Gavin James
11 England Ekow Elliott
20 England Jordan Brown downward-facing red arrow 70'
Substitutes:
14 England Harry Grant
15 England Gareth Thomas
16 England Ross Cook upward-facing green arrow 78'
17 England Ashleigh James upward-facing green arrow 83'
18 England Jemel Johnson upward-facing green arrow 70'
Manager:
England Danny Robinson

Man of the match: Baboucarr Jarra

Match officials

  • Assistant referees: Adrian Waters & Craig Taylor
  • Forth official: Antony Coggins

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Five named substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

References

  1. ^ "Non-League Finals Day". wembleystadium.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Stockton Town". fchd.info. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Kingfishers maintain unbeaten run but are made to wait on outcome of title challenge". Thatcham Town F.C. 26 April 2018. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Unbeaten streak interrupted by Binfield". Thatcham Town F.C. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  5. ^ "Thatcham Town". fchd.info. Retrieved 29 April 2018.