2018 FA Vase Final

2018 FA Vase Final
Wembley Stadium hosted the final
Event 2017–18 FA Vase
Stockton Town Thatcham Town
0 1
Date 20 May 2018
Venue Wembley Stadium, Wembley, London
Referee John Brooks
Attendance 31,430
Weather Sunny

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

Thatcham Town

Match

Details

Stockton Town 0–1 Thatcham Town
Report Cooper-Clark  24' (pen.)
Attendance: 31,430
Referee: John Brooks
1England Michael Arthur
2England Joe Carter  61'
3England James Ward  79'
4England Nathan Mulligan
5England Dale Mulligan
6England Tom Coulthard (C)
7England Kevin Hayes
9England Fred Woodhouse
10England Jamie Owens
11England James Risborough
15England Chris Stockton  66'
Substitutes:
12England Adam Nicholson  79'
14England Sonni Coleman  66'
16England Matthew Garbutt  61'
17England Alan Cossavella
18England Chris Dunwell
Manager:
England Michael Dunwell
1England Chris Rackley
2England Lewis Brownhill
3England Curtis Angell
4England Tom Melledew  83'
5England Baboucarr Jarra
6England Tom Moran
8England Harrison Bayley
9England Shane Cooper-Clark  78'
10Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Gavin James
11England Ekow Elliott
20England Jordan Brown  70'
Substitutes:
14England Harry Grant
15England Gareth Thomas
16England Ross Cook  78'
17England Ashleigh James  83'
18England Jemel Johnson  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. 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. 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.
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