It is FA Vase Fifth Round weekend and there are still three Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division clubs with Wembley dreams.

Furthermore, Erith and Belvedere, VCD Athletic and Whitstable Town have avoided each other, and all three have home ties on Saturday with a place in the quarter finals at stake. 

To get to this point, Erith and Belvedere have had a string of tight matches. In the first qualifying round they visited Godalming Town and progressed on penalties after a goal-less draw. They then avoided sudden death against Frimley Green when Freddie Baker scored the only goal with thirteen minutes remaining.

Having got through the qualifying rounds they hosted Wallingford and Crowmarsh in the First Round and again required penalties after the visitors cancelled out Rob Curtis’ goal and another shoot-out was needed in the Second Round after a nil-nil draw at Bearsted.

In the third Round they claimed a stunning one-nil win at Faversham Town thanks to a goal by Tyller Davis-Whitlock ten minutes from time. That was followed by yet another penalties success after Tommy Whitnell scored in a one-one draw at White Ensign. They now host Daventry Town.

For VCD, it has been an interesting run too. They started by winning four-one at Westside with George Whitelock, Nathaniel Olawole (two) and Wade Odedoyin on target before they won three-nil at Chipstead with goals by Whitelock and a brace from Charlie Heatley.

That got them into the first round and a penalties victory at home to Roffey after the visitors had cancelled out Ollie Freeman’s goal in stoppage time. Freeman followed up with two more at home to Arundel. The run looked over when they were three-nil down at home to Windsor and Eton but an injury to a VCD player that meant that he couldn’t be moved and the referee had no option other than to abandon the match.

Unusually, the F.A. ordered the game to be replayed at Windsor but the Vickers did not get caught out again and won two-nil courtesy of an own-goal and a strike by Bethel Gboda. In the fourth round Michael Fenn scored the only goal in a home win against Epsom and Ewell. They have been rewarded with a tie against Hartpury University.

Also starting away, Whitstable Town were one down to Corinthian-Casuals at the break before Josh Oliver levelled and Harvey Smith scored a late hat-trick. Mike West then scored the only goal as the Oystermen hosted and beat Hollands and Blair. 

Another one-nil home win saw off Virginia Water, with Oliver the scorer, before they hosted Lydd Town in the second round. Smith put them ahead but the visitors levelled midway through the second half. A shoot-out looked on the cards but an own goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time saw Whitstable through.

Again, they were at home in the third round when beating Jersey Bulls two-one. They were one down with six minutes remaining until Oliver levelled from the spot. Two minutes later, Nico Grierson scored to send Jamie Coyle’s team through, and on a trip to Walsham Le Willows. On this occasion they got a taste of their own medicine when conceding a late equaliser to Ronald Sithole’s opener. They held their nerve, though, and went through on penalties. They now host Fleet Town.

Should the three SCEFL clubs progress, it would be a tremendous coup for the league and the Kent F.A., to whom they are all affiliated.