MANAGER Declan Allen believes this Saturday’s FA Vase opportunity has come at the ‘ideal time’ for his Shawbury United side.

West Midlands Premier Division side Shawbury host a Gornal Athletic outfit from a division below in the final qualifying round at Ludlow.

Allen believes the tie gives them the perfect chance to put last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at early league pacesetters Shifnal behind them.

Allen said: “It’s come at the right time for us – it’s probably the ideal game for us because we know we have to get up for it to put ourselves in the next round.

“On paper, we are favourites as they are a league below and their manager resigned last week but they will have a point to prove and will see us a scalp so we have to take it seriously.

“There’s a good financial reward for getting through each round of the Vase and every club at our sort of level needs that money to keep us going.

“And realistically there is the opportunity to go far in this competition because it only extends to teams in the league above – it’s not like you’re travelling to teams three, four, five leagues above.”

Shawbury’s Vase commitments mean a fifth straight away game for landlords Ludlow in West Mids Two.

They visit Warstones Wanderers on the back of a 3-1 defeat at Worcester Raiders Reserves that boss Chris Waldron labelled ‘not good enough’.

Ryan Lewis scored but Ludlow were well beaten and Waldron said: “It was poor, no other word for it.

“We weren’t at it and we will need some sort of improvement this Saturday as I expect Warstones to be competing for the title.”

Neighbours Church Stretton won 4-0 at Telford Juniors with a Dean Richards brace and goals from Owen Holdsworth and Jordan Wells.