WORCESTER City have been drawn at home in the Isuzu FA Vase quarter-finals after the draw was made on Monday.
City, favourites with the bookies to win the tournament, will face second-favourites Emley at Claines Lane on March 9, 3pm kick-off. The same week City face Worcester Raiders in the second Worcester Derby of the season.
Emley beat Whickham 2-0 on Saturday thanks to second-half goals from Charlie Barks and James Walshaw in front of a crowd of just over 800 to book their place in the last eight, where they will face a City side who thumped local rivals Stourport Swifts in front of 1900.
City's opponents are enjoying a similarly successful campaign to date. They sit top of the Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division (Step 5) by three points, with two games in hand on second-placed Campion. They have won 19 of their 27 games, losing just two and drawing the other six.
They are also unbeaten away from home in the league, just like City, and in all, have been beaten just five times in all competitions.
Whilst it is impressive, it is not quite the same record as Chris Cornes' side, who have lost just twice in the entire 2023/24 season and will, with home advantage, go into the contest as favourites.
Worcester have been averaging over 700 at home this season and you would expect, perhaps, the biggest crowd of the season for this Vase tie with Emley.
Both sides will be competing for a place in the semi-finals, where they will be just TWO games from a Wembley final.
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