AFC Portchester and Horndean handed home draws in first round of the FA Vase

The Royals have been paired with luckless Phoenix Sports while Horndean will host Bexhill - both ties taking place on October 22.

Phoenix are based in the town of Barnehurst, part of the south east London borough of Bexley.

Sports have now been drawn away in eight successive FA Vase rounds, having already beaten Canterbury City (2-1) and Bridon Ropes (4-1) on their travels this season.

In their previous Vase campaign, in 2014/15, they reached the fifth round, with their last five ties all away.

That was the season Phoenix romped to the Southern Counties East title, losing just once - heralding a seven-year stay at step 4 level which ended with Isthmian League South East relegation last term.

Phoenix are currently 13th in the South East Counties Premier, but have games in hand on all the teams above them - up to three games in some cases.

Against that, Portchester are currently joint top of the Wessex Premier having won all six of their games so far.

They also hammered East Cowes 8-1 away in the Vase last weekend, with Brett Pitman notching half of their tally.

The Royals are one of just eight clubs across the 15 step 5 divisions of English football yet to drop a point so far in 2022/23.

The others are divisional rivals Bemerton, Badshot Lea (Combined Counties Premier South), Ascot and Reading City (both Combined Counties Premier North), Wythenshawe Town (North West Counties League Premier), Erith & Belvedere (Southern Counties East) and Shepton Mallet (Western League Premier).

Of those, Badshot Lea ended Baffins Milton Rovers’ hopes of a Vase run at the first qualifying round stage.

Bexhill are currently ninth in the Southern Combination League Premier, having won four, drawn one and lost two of their seven league games.

While Horndean were winning 5-2 at Bournemouth Poppies in their Vase tie, Bexhill were progressing to the first round with a 1-0 home win over Horsham YMCA.

Bexhill’s dangerman appears Jack Shonk, who spent nine years in the Brighton & Hove Albion academy. Twice Bexhill’s leading scorer in 2018/19 and 2019/20, he is again leading the way with seven goals this season.

Both Portchester and Horndean banked £725 as a result of winning their second qualifying round ties. A further £825 awaits the first round winners, as well as the knowledge that Wembley is only another six victories away!

In all, 13 Wessex League clubs remain in the Vase, including two from Division 1.

Whitchurch - shock conquerors of Moneyfields - have been drawn at home to Sussex club Broadbridge Heath.

That is a very tough tie for the Hampshire club, with Broadbridge having won six of their seven (higher tier) Southern Combination League games so far. In addition, Heath also knocked Erith & Belvedere out of the Vase last weekend.

Andover New Street, meanwhile, travel to Somerset to face Street.

*Gosport Borough have been drawn away to Bristol Manor Farm in the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy on October 8.

Manor Farm are fourth bottom of the Southern League Division 1 South table, having failed to win any of their six league games so far, drawing four times.

The Bristolians will be the third team from that division one tier higher Boro have played this season - having faced Hamworthy United and Paulton Rovers in the FA Cup.

Boro will collect £2,450 if they can beat Manor Farm.