FA VASE: Wroxham have been given a home draw against league rivals Wisbech as they attempt another sparkling FA Vase run.

Now their path is blocked by a tricky home game against the resurgent Fenmen on November 13.

Yesterday’s draw for the second round threw up an all-Norfolk tie, with King’s Lynn Town at home to Gorleston, while Kirkley & Pakefield have a home game against Long Buckby.

But all eyes will be on Wroxham, with manager David Batch happy to get a home draw, despite last season’s efforts on the road.

“It’s a plus this season, but last season it was a minus for us,” he said. “We were poor at home, but we have got a completely different team this year and our form at home has been good because the surface suits us far more.

“To be honest who you get is irrelevant, pretty much, with probably only a handful of exceptions because in a cup competition anyone can beat anyone. It is about who prepares better, who gets a bit of luck over a period of time, who doesn’t get a piece of bad luck. Ultimately all you can hope is that you get luck of the draw in terms of where you play.”

Batch admits the journey to Wembley last season is one he would love to repeat.

“I think anyone who was involved in what the football club achieved last year would say without a doubt that is something they would want to do again,” he said. “And if you said to me now, would you take now getting to the final and losing 6-1 or taking your chances and if you get there you would win 2-1, I will take the 6-1 defeat now.

“The journey to get there is the achievement and of course you want to win and I and all the players were gutted that we didn’t, but when you look back on it, it was a magnificent journey to be part of, an honour to be part of it to be honest.”

Wroxham are fourth in the Ridgeons Premier – three places and seven points ahead of Wisbech – but Batch says their season is only just starting after overcoming a string of selection problems.

“I will be honest we have really struggled at the start of this season because I have struggled to put a team out most weeks,” he said. “It’s only the last maybe four games when I have been able to select a team. It wasn’t until we played Debenham two weeks ago that I left somebody out of the team and they were disappointed, because up to now pretty much anyone who was fit and available was playing – injuries, unavailability, all sorts of things.

“It’s been a bad run. Lots of teams have it at this time of the year, but at times there were 15 players who weren’t available.”