The remarkable stats belonging to Fareham Town’s FA Vase rivals Plymouth Parkway ...

The Reds travel to the west country on Saturday for the second time in successive rounds - albeit separated by almost four months due to lockdowns - bidding to reach the last 32 of the FA Vase for the first time in their history.

Back in December they journeyed into deepest Cornwall to beat lower tier Helston 2-0.

This time, their task is far, far harder - a trip to Western League Premier Division big guns Plymouth Parkway.

The Devonians were 10 points clear at the top of their table, which is at the same step 5 level on non-league football as the Wessex Premier League, when the 2020/21 season was curtailed in February.

Parkway had won 11 and drawn two of their 13 games, and just before the November lockdown hammered fourth-placed Street 10-2 - despite having a player sent off after 40 minutes!

Parkway’s recent record is incredible - they have won 94 of their last 114 league games, losing just eight times since the start of 2017/18.

That was the season they romped to the South West Peninsula West title, winning 34 of their 38 games and scoring 147 goals.

In their first season at step 5 level, in the Western League, they were runners-up by just two points to Willand Rovers.

Last season, they won 19 of their 23 league games and were second in the table - three points behind Tavistock but with three matches in hand - when 2019/20 was halted by the pandemic.

Had last season been completed, it is quite likely Parkway would be in the Southern League by now.

Main goal threat to Fareham appears to be Ryan Richards.

The striker belted 45 goals at step 6 level - the same as the Wessex Division 1 - for Saltash last season, and has netted 16 times for Parkway this term, including a hat-trick in the hammering of Street.

The Devonians also boast Levi Landricombe, who scored over 110 goals in four Southern League seasons for Tiverton Town including 44 in 2016/17.

Two other strikers, Matt Wright and Craig Veal, started out at Swansea City and Exeter City respectively and both were signed from two divisions higher Taunton Town last summer.

Wright, Taunton’s skipper in the Southern League Premier South in 2019/20, struck twice in Parkway’s 3-1 second round Vase win against Newton Abbot on December 5.

One-time Gosport Borough loanee River Allen, who has spent the last two seasons at Truro and Tiverton, is another attacking threat to Fareham’s hopes of pulling off a memorable victory.

Allen was among the starting XI when Parkway drew 4-4 against Buckland on the 3G surface at the Devon FA’s Coach Road HQ where the Vase showdown with Fareham will take place. Richards came off the bench to grab an 87th minute equaliser.

Parkway were then due to face Tavistock in another friendly on Tuesday but due to injuries picked up against Buckland withdrew from the fixture.

Parkway have recent Vase form, reaching the quarter-finals last season before losing 2-0 at Hebburn - a round trip of over 800 miles! - in front of a crowd of over 1,700.

Hebburn went on to reach the final against Consett, a game that will finally be played on Monday, May 3, at Wembley - but sadly behind closed doors.