The road to Wembley is laid in front of Morpeth Town as they begin another FA Vase campaign on Saturday.

Travelling to Wigan to face Ashton Athletic (3pm), this is the first step towards another appearance in London, where The Highwaymen famously won the Vase two seasons ago.

SNAPSHOT PREVIEW

FORM: Currently sitting 10th in the Hallmark Security Football League Premier Division, Ashton Athletic are a side on the move after winning five of their last six games. Their five-match winning streak came to an end following a recent 3-1 loss at Squires Gate. They’ve only played 11 league games so far, leaving them 22 points adrift of first-placed Runcorn Town who have played four games more. Perhaps a better view of the club’s fortunes, they’ve lost only twice in the league, conceded 11 goals in that time – a miserly average of one goal per game – and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Chorley (three levels above) by the narrowest of margins (1-0). Having scored 20 in their last five outings, they certainly know where the net is.

Morpeth are flying at the minute, winning five in a row, including a vital 1-0 win against Shildon last time out. They’ve only dropped five points from a possible 27 on their travels, with 25 goals scored in those nine encounters. A stern test is in store for that stingy Ashton defence.

LAST GAME: Struggling Squires Gate inflicted a rare defeat on Ashton last time out, beating their visitors 3-1. After winning the division’s club of the month, they followed that up with this defeat. The Greater Manchester outfit were supposed to play Clitheroe on Tuesday night, but that fixture fell victim to the weather.

Facing one of the sternest tests of the season, Morpeth Town overcame Shildon 1-0 despite playing 51 minutes with 10 men after Chris Reid’s first half sending off. The Highwaymen put in a disciplined display to not only contain their title-challenging visitors but beat them courtesy of Liam Henderson’s 73rd minute goal. The striker latched on to a loose ball in the six-yard box before turning a firing into the net to seal a crucial victory.

ONE TO WATCH: Dale Korie-Butler is a man in form for Athletic, netting an impressive 18 goals so far…and we’re only in November! With 16 strikes in the league, in just 11 outings, the free-scoring forward will be a major threat to Karl Dryden and co on Saturday.

WHERE TO WATCH: Brocstedes Park, Brocstedes Road, Wigan, Lancashire.

SAT NAV: WN4 0NR