Photo credit: Andrew Batt
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Ascot United have already had a phenomenal season, winning the Combined Counties Premier Division North having notched up more than 100 points in the process, however, on Sunday, they will look to make club history by lifting the FA Vase at Wembley Stadium.
The Yellamen have ridden on the crest of a wave throughout the season, going on long unbeaten runs to leave league rivals in their wake come the final weeks of the season, but this weekend they have the chance to do the double and lift silverware once again at the home of football.
Under the Wembley arch on Sunday lunchtime (12.15pm kick-off) they’ll take on reigning FA Vase champions Newport Pagnell Town having already shown terrific character and mental strength to reach the final.
Manager Jamie Tompkins and his players are looking to lift the Vase for the very first time in the club’s history, and, given the season they’ve just had, you wouldn’t bet against them.
The Yellamen held their nerve to overcome Corsham Town on penalty kicks in the semi-final, after a thrilling encounter finished 2-2 with Rob Gerrard scoring a last-gasp leveller for Ascot.
Shoot-outs have been a running theme for the side in the competition this season, with the Yellamen also beating Didsbury and Chorlton 4-3 on penalties to reach the final four. On that occasion, Rhys Forster was the hero, saving two spot kicks after a 1-1 draw at Brookburn Road.
In an interview with the Berkshire Football Stories Podcast this week, Tompkins spoke to Tom Canning about his growing excitement ahead of Sunday’s match at Wembley: “Yeah, it’s been brilliant. At the start of the season, you make your plans, and you have your aspirations and fortunately for us, we’ve gone on a really good journey to earn promotion as champions with over 100 points. We’ve also had this cup run that’s led us to Wembley, so it’s an amazing achievement to get to the FA Vase final. It’s been a brilliant year.”
It was Ascot’s 3-1 win over Buckland Athletic in January that gave Tompkins the belief his side could go all the way to Wembley. Having travelled down to Devon to watch Buckland in preparation for the tie, Tompkins knew the Yellamen were in for a tough test, but they came through it with flying colours thanks to goals from Brendan Matthew, Sean McCormack and Jordan Ajanlekoko.
“I knew it was going to be a tough game, they had some really good players, good individuals,” he added.
“It’s a great club with a good fan base, so I was a bit apprehensive about how we would compete down there, particularly after the game was postponed twice, but we just performed to another level. We were absolutely fantastic, and some brilliant individual performances meant that we totally dominated the game.
“That was a turning point for us. That was a phenomenal performance, and the journey home was incredible.
“We would have liked to have had some home draws, but playing away, it meant that pressure was off, and it brought the whole team closer together. We had an overnight stay in Manchester (for Didsbury and Chorlton quarter-final). You can’t buy these things; these are the things that bring a squad together.
“It’s not been easy though. We went away to Newport from the Isle of Wight, they were top of their league, we’ve been to Buckland, then away to Bridgewater, who were top of their league at the time. We went up to Manchester, who had a thousand supporters there and they made it a hostile environment, but we overcame that. We also had the Corsham game and there was a massive crowd there as well. We just focused on what we needed to do, and the players have performed to another level.”
The character shown in those performances have taken the club to Wembley and now Tompkins faces the most difficult selection headache of his life, as he prepares to tell his players who’s made the squad for Sunday’s final and who’s missed out.
“This is one of those horrible parts of football management, but you have to accept it’s something you have to do if you want to be in this position,” said Tompkins. “You have to enjoy the good parts, but also go through the horrible stuff you don’t want to do. I try to take the emotion out of it as much as I can and focus on what we think we need to win the game. It’s then about being honest with the players who are not involved or starting. I know that’s hard, but they’ll appreciate that honesty. But those who are not starting, they might have an opportunity to make a real impact towards the end of the game.
“Hopefully, they can bring the right mindset and approach to the game.
“We’ve got it (selection) right so far, and I think they can respect that.”
They take on a Newport side who’ve had to overcome their own hurdles to reach Wembley, beating Congleton Town 4-2 on penalties in their own semi-final. Having lifted the trophy last year, Ascot’s opponents will also have the advantage of being familiar with the sense of occasion of playing at Wembley in front of thousands of supporters. That said, Berkshire sides reaching Wembley in the FA Vase has become a regular thing in recent seasons, following the success of Thatcham Town and Binfield in recent seasons. Binfield were beaten 3-2 by Warrington Rylands in 2021 but Thatcham lifted the Vase in 2018 after a 1-0 win over Stockton Town.
“We know they’re the holders, it gives them an advantage because they have that experience of winning at Wembley,” he said. “That puts them in front of us. I do know they have a strong fan base and will have a lot of support on the day.
“We’ve tried to do our research. We know they have two great strikers in their team, and we’ll have to work on limiting their chances as a team. But they have quality all over the pitch, you don’t get to a final if you’ve got an average team. They have a good group of players who have done it before.
“It’s going to be a very tough game for us, but we’ve done it before. We’ve played away against tough teams and come through those matches. We’ve got a group that will front up to any challenge and never give up. They’ll run their hearts out on Sunday.”