Picture courtesy of Mick Cunningham
KEVIN BREWSTER has an extra incentive to get to the FA Vase final with Sholing – follow his best mate Danny Smith onto Wembley's hallowed turf.
The Sholing defender went to school with Danny Smith, who is set to play in the FA Trophy final for Gosport Borough against Cambridge United next Sunday.
And while 31-year-old Brewster is wary of their two-legged semi-final opponents, Eastbourne United, he's desperate to step out onto the Wembley surface.
“The night Gosport got to Trophy final I met Dan and went out for a few beers. It's funny how we're going for the Vase as well.
“Dan is one of my best mates. We sat next to each other in every class from primary school up to secondary. We played in all the school teams together too.
“Then he went off to Bournemouth after getting a pro contract while I was stuck at college!
“Of course it's a big incentive to get there as well. To play at Wembley would be unbelievable; the whole weekend would be a great experience. But we can't think that far ahead, we've got to beat Eastbourne United first and we won't be taking them lightly.”
Brewster was with midfielder Smith, and Gosport's Andy Forbes, at Winchester City when they won the FA Vase ten years ago.
The Citizens beat AFC Sudbury at Birmingham City's St Andrews home – but Brewster missed out on the big day.
“I was left out of the squad,” Brewster said. “I'd play in the rounds leading up to it so I was gutted not to play. But we won and that was the main thing. We had a good celebration afterwards.”
In Lee Wort, Sholing have serious firepower. The striker, who topped the Southern League South & West charts with 35 last season before the club opted to drop a level, has already hit the net 38 times this term.
“I compare him to Andy Forbes when we were in the Vase at Winchester,” Brewster said. “He scores lots of goals and that's been the difference.
“We've defended for a lot of the games and then managed to get one or two chances and he's popped them away. That's what's got us into the position we're in now.
“We have to get at them straight away in the home leg because it will be difficult at their place. But if we get a lead at home I'm confident with the way we defend that we can shut them out.”
*This article first appeared in The NLP on Sunday, March 16
