FA Vase draw: Walsham-le-Willows would host Crawley Down Gatwick or Fleet Down in last 16 should they see off visiting Whitstable Town on Saturday
Walsham-le-Willows would have another home tie - a third on the spin - in the last 16 of the Isuzu FA Vase, should they come through Saturday’s re-arranged fourth round home tie with Whitstable Town (3pm) victorious.
Suffolk’s last team standing had been due to host the Kent-based Southern Counties League Premier mid-table side at the weekend but a frozen pitch amid plummeting temperatures setting in across Suffolk led to an early call being made on Friday afternoon to delay it for a week.
A victory in their upcoming last 32 tie would ensure this season’s foray in the national competition - which ends with a Wembley final - eclipses last term’s record-breaking one to immortalise the Sam Nunn-captained side’s place in The Willows’ history books.
And their would-be fifth-round visitors on February 1 would come from the winners of the outstanding tie between Crawley Down Gatwick (West Sussex) and Fleet Town (Hampshire).
The draw was made this afternoon live on TalkSport 2 with former Ipswich Town striker Sam Parkin pulling out Walsham’s ball last in five southern section ties, following on from drawing the northern section out first.
Winning clubs in the fifth round, would earn £2,250 in competition prize fund money along with a place in the quarter-finals, while losing teams will collect £725.
After parachuting in at the second round proper stage following last year’s impressive cup campaign, Mid Suffolk village side Walsham have so far seen off Potton United (3-0, H) and divisional Thurlow Nunn league Premier Division rivals Bratnham Athletic (2-1, H).
Walsham, who are managed jointly by Chay Budd and Ian Hubbard, currently lie seventh in their division and are targeting a play-off place.
Whitstable Town are set to bring a large following of around 150 fans over to Walsham on Saturday as they look to make it feel like a home tie for their side.
But while accepting they go into the fixture as underdogs, Hubbard said they will look to embrace that tag and rise to the challenge.
The Willows also have two further home games to come whatever happens on Saturday with the visits of Sheringham and Kirkley & Pakefield on successive Saturdays.