Say it quietly but Punjab United are one hundred and eighty minutes from the Wembley Arch and the ISUZU FA Vase Final with manager Chipie Sian relishing the prospect.

Sian and his SCEFL Premier Side host Downton from the Premier Division of the Wessex League on Saturday knowing that if they follow up wins over Oakwood, Wick, Wembley, Tadley Calleva, Burnham, Benfleet and Fisher, they will be in Monday’s Semi Final draw 

“I was asked this week if the magnitude of what we have achieved has sunk in yet,” Sian told us when we caught up with him on Thursday.

“I was in Bluewater shopping when I met a guy, I used to play football with, and he said to me, “do you know what you’ve done?” My reply was to shrug my shoulders as I didn’t think we’d done anything as all we have done is go game to game as every game to us is a big game because, we had the Kent Senior Trophy semi-final last weekend and my mind had been locked into that!”

“So, it wasn’t as though we haven’t had time to think, but when you talk to other people and they say it’s amazing, it’s only then that you realise that it registers that so many teams don’t get past the early rounds.”

“I honestly as I talk to you now, I honestly don’t think it’s sunk in… every game we go into I’m looking to win and we’ve got to get to a Play Off or a Senior Trophy final!”

“So, I really don’t think it has registered what we have done – our management team is “just” focused on one game at a time and that’s something that I am really keen on getting right.” 

“It is amazing what we have done! As I sit back talking to KSN, it’s dawned on me that we have done well, haven’t we?” Sian admitted laughing. 

Last weekend, Punjab came from two goals down to Elmstead to reach the Kent Senior Trophy Final against ironically the current holders of the Vase Whitstable Town, who sadly bowed out of the competition this year in the last round.

“We’re back to our second Final in three years, and no one thought we would beat Deal Town, the year they got promoted, and to go back again is fantastic. We have the Vaisakhi Sikh celebration on the Saturday and now the Senior Trophy Final at Maidstone on the Sunday (April 19th) after the whole Club has been at the festival, so we are hoping that we will get a really big following again at the Gallagher.”

“Everyone we have spoken to since have said that they are coming, and in 2024 we had six hundred and fifty plus behind us, and the target is to get more than that this time!” 

“I finally have to admit that this is the big one,” the Punjab boss went on. “We have been trying to play it down, but everywhere we have gone, everyone is talking about it, it’s just madness at the moment!”

“We can’t believe that we are here in the last eight of the whole country and we will give it our best shot on Saturday – we will be ready!” 

“We have done our homework on Downton and a couple of my management team have been to see them. We have done everything we can I think we can do to set up for them… we had a good session on Tuesday and went through some bits, but now it’s down to me to pick the team that will go out and be ready for Saturday.”

“We know enough about them now and it’s just going to be on the day… can we go out and do what we ask them and implement our tactics and our style of play and let’s see what happens!” 

“God willing we can do it; I am confident, but I am always confident with this team every week; I just feel that we have something in us at the moment and if we can do it again (and get through), it will be amazing won’t it?”