Paddy Davitt Wroxham have rejected a request from FA Vase semi-final opponents Whitehawk to put back their scheduled first leg tie later this month by 24 hours. Yachtsmen secretary Chris Green confirmed yesterday Norfolk's sole survivors will play the Sussex-based side on Saturday, March 27.

Paddy Davitt

Wroxham have rejected a request from FA Vase semi-final opponents Whitehawk to put back their scheduled first leg tie later this month by 24 hours.

Yachtsmen secretary Chris Green confirmed yesterday Norfolk's sole survivors will play the Sussex-based side on Saturday, March 27.

Whitehawk had wanted to host Wroxham the following day to avoid a potential clash with League One neighbours Brighton who have a home game against Tranmere on the date of the original tie.

The FA and Sussex police had both backed the proposed switch alongside Brighton council but David Batch's men will travel to the south coast as planned with the return scheduled for Trafford Park the weekend after.

Batch remains confident he has the squad to cope with a lengthening fixture backlog despite yet another midweek call-off at Wivenhoe Town.

Wroxham have now played only twice in the Ridgeons Premier Division since the turn of the year due to cup success on two fronts and a series of weather postponements.

"We are worse off than most in terms of the games we have left but we've got a good squad," said Batch, pictured.

"It's not a case of prioritising now because we did that at the start of the season.

"They asked me what mine were and I said to get a decent finish in the league and the FA Vase. Second, was the FA Cup because of the money that is involved and third was the reserves because if we want to win things you need that.

"Then we had the Norfolk Senior Cup and the League Cup to go for as well. When I brought in the likes of Andy Easthaugh and Ollie King I said I would give them a chance. I didn't promise anything but I knew we'd have loads of games.

"Andy played the League Cup tie against Yarmouth and through his performance he got himself in the team for the FA Vase the following week."

Whitehawk returned to Sussex County Division One action with a 2-0 home win over Selsey on Tuesday that moved George Parris' men within three points of top spot with five games in hand.

The Hawks have conceded less than a goal a game in league action this season but Batch's men will know what lies in store ahead of the biggest game in his club's history.

"Seriously we like playing away from home and I don't know why that is," he said.

"We set ourselves targets within games to help us achieve the overall goal.

"Are the crowd quiet? Are they having a go at our players or having a go at their own players?

These are the factors that all contribute to what we want to achieve and that has happened in the past two away games in this competition.

"We didn't beat Armthorpe (Welfare) because we were better than them. We beat them because we were better prepared.

"They were the best side I have seen for quite some while in non league but we knew that much about them.

"We had them watched four or five times, we knew where they would stay, where they would stop the bus, everything and that is how we approach every game in this competition."