Today I'm going back 16 years to 2005 and Racing Club Warwick's FA Vase 3rd Round Replay against Ashville.
For quite a few years now I've harboured hopes that Racing Club Warwick would go on a run in the FA Vase that would take them all the way to Wembley. Back in 2005, under the management of Marcus Law, he had assembled possibly the best Racing Club side that we have seen this century and looked set to mount a challenge in the Vase. That season Warwick started in the competition in the 1st Qualifying Round and squeezed through 1-0 against Eccleshall. The 2nd Qualifying round saw an away tie in Lincoln against Blackstones which Warwick won 2-1. The next Round (the 1st Round proper) saw a home game against Barwell, ironically the club that Marcus would join a couple of years later and take all the way to the FA Vase Semi-Finals. Warwick beat Barwell 1-0 and drew Tipton Town away in the 2nd Round. Another win, this time by 2-0 took Warwick into the 3rd Round and an away tie against the Wirral club Ashville. On paper this looked to be an eminently winnable tie since Ashville were based in the West Cheshire League (compared to Warwick's membership of the Midland Football Alliance) and were one of the lowest ranked sides left in the competition.
The game at Ashville's Villa Park ground was a classic with the lead changing hands and the game going to extra time before Warwick rescued it late on thanks to a dramatic headed equaliser by Ollie Olanipekun making it 3-3 and taking the tie back to Warwick for a Replay the following Saturday. Surely Warwick couldn't slip up against lower ranked opposition at the second time of asking? Well actually they could. The featured game at Hampton Road was equally dramatic but Warwick did not play well and, after another period of extra time, the match finished all square again at 2-2 and would go to penalties to resolve the outcome. Sadly, Ashville went on to win the shoot out 4-3 and Wembley was gone for Racing Club.
Annoyingly Ashville fell at the next hurdle losing to Buxton who themselves lost to eventual winners Nantwich Town. Warwick haven't got as far as the 3rd Round of the Vase since.
CRB Match No. 1471
Craig, I've been trying to track down a Racing Club programme that was an end of season special. Presumably, it had been a successful season, so I've narrowed it down to either 1987-88, 1988-89 or 2004-05. Can you help? BTW, are related to a Janet Brebner? I worked with Janet at Stratford Hospital a long time ago!
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