We've got a chance to go all the way in The FA Vase, says Greenwich Borough assistant Paul Blade

GREENWICH BOROUGH assistant manager Paul Blade says the club are targeting FA Vase glory this season.

The club reached The FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round and put in a spirited display away to Vanarama Conference North side Worcester City last Sunday, going down to a brave 2-1 defeat at Kidderminster Harriers’ Aggborough Stadium.

Billy Bennett’s third FA Cup goal of the season grabbed the Kent side an equalsier on the hour mark, but Worcester City won the game with seven minutes to go to earn a trip to League One side Coventry City in the First Round next weekend.

Greenwich Borough return to cup action on Saturday and welcome Hailsham Town to Princes Park in The FA Vase First Round.

Ian Jenkins’ side have slipped down to fifteenth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League table due to the fact that they have played the least number of games in the division (seven) and have collected thirteen points.

They are 24 points adrift of league leaders Erith & Belvedere but they do have seven games in hand on Matt Longhurst’s side.

Hailsham Town, meanwhile, arrive in Dartford sitting in the bottom three in the Sussex County League Division One (top-flight) table, having collected one win and two draws from their thirteen league outings.

But Blade said: “Every game is always going to be a tough game.  We’re playing a club that doesn’t play in our league so we go there hopefully trying to win the game.

“You always give the other team the respect that they need but go in with the confidence that we’ve got a chance to go all the way in this Cup as well.”

Greenwich Borough return to league action with a home game next Wednesday against Tunbridge Wells, before the vital clash away to Erith & Belvedere on 8 November.

Blade wants the League to re-arrange as many league games as possible in the next few weeks so they can catch up with the rest of their rivals.

“That will be nice,” he said.  “It would be nice to put the league on our side for them to realise that (we need games) so hopefully it will be nice for them to help us out a little bit and put a league game in there.”

Looking ahead to their game at Erith & Belvedere, Blade said: “You probably can say it’s a six-pointer. They’re top of the league and we’re 24 points behind them. It’s massive that we get something from the game.  We’ll probably take a draw from them but three points from that game is a must.”

Greenwich Borough went to Worcester on a club record run of eleven wins on the bounce – and Blade wants a similar run in the league as they bid to win promotion to the Ryman League at the end of the season.

He said: “It just so happens our winning run has been involved in The FA Cup and not league games. If we’d won eleven on the spin in the league we’d be top of the league but we haven’t. We’ve won in the Cup games so that’s put us out there as well but I wouldn’t have changed it for one bit.”

Visit Greenwich Borough’s website:  www.greenwichboroughfc.co.uk

Greenwich Borough  v  Hailsham Town
The FA Vase First Round
Saturday 1^st November 2014
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Princes Park Stadium, Grassbanks, Darenth Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 1RT