Incredible - we'll get 2,000: Littlehampton Town licking lips ahead of an even bigger FA Vase clash

After being drawn with the competition favourites from the Northern League, Littlehampton have started to plan for what should be another afternoon to remember at the Sportsfield - like last weekend's fifth round victory over Brockenhurst in a penalty shootout.

Hand was delighted with a home quarter-final and added: “Just amazing for the club, another home draw, underdogs again, incredible. There will be 2,000-plus at the game I’m sure of it and again we will give everything we’ve got.”

Golds – back in the competition because the side who beat them in the fourth round were thrown out for fielding an ineligible player – are now just two games from the Wembley final. That’s after they beat Brockenhurst 4-1 on penalties after a 3-3 draw in front of a crowd of more than 1,200 amid

fantastic scenes on Saturday.

Next, Northern League side North Shields will visit for a quarter-final on the weekend of March 12-13. Hand told us after Saturday’s win: “I feel like I’ve said this to you a few times this season but honestly, what an unbelievable game of football and what a way to win. I’d said about how dangerous it is to write off this group of players – despite the players we had missing we were unbelievable.

“I can’t put the win down to anything particularly tactical or even our technical ability – it’s more down to just pure passion and commitment from a special group of boys. I thought Brockenhurst played the better football on the day but I felt we won the fight and it’s by far my proudest in football so far and all credit goes to the players.”