St Andrews Pin Hopes On ‘Weird Bunch’!

Picture courtesy of Andy Nunn

JOE LATHAM reckons St Andrews are the “weirdest bunch” of players left in the FA Vase – but says they might have to stop Friday nights on the tiles before the big semi-finals.

The Step 6 club have been drawn against 2012 runners-up West Auckland Town.

And after seeing off the likes of higher league AFC Rushden & Diamonds, East Preston and Newcastle Benfield the East Midlands Counties outfit aren’t afraid of reputations.

Defender Latham said: “We’re a bit of a weird bunch! We’re all mates and that’s why we’re all here.

“We’re a bit loud and ‘boy-ish’. Even before we played East Preston we went out in Brighton the night before. A couple of the lads weren’t even in bed until 2am!

“Last week some of the lads were out as well – we’ve got an FA Vase quarter-final the next day!

“That just sums us up. If we’ve got a league game we all go out on the Friday and have five or six beers.

“We all say we don’t want to change what we do before the Vase. I’m the first for having a few on a Friday but before the Vase I don’t. Sometimes you have to with the importance of the game.

“It’s been pure will to win. In the last three Vase games we’ve not really shown any ability or done what we do in the league where we pass teams to death.

“In the Vase it is blood and guts. If it’s a 60-40 tackle you make it in your favour. If you do that for 90 minutes you can wear good teams down and we’ve always got a goal in us.”