MAX Frampton insists FA Vase surprise packages Bournemouth Poppies must look to profit from the exit of holders Whitley Bay and the lure of a home tie in the quarter-final.

Poppies will be looking to progress to the last eight when they face Northern League outfit Billingham Synthonia in a fifth round replay at Victoria Park on Saturday (3pm).

Goalkeeper Frampton was a relative spectator as a superb defensive effort earned Poppies a second crack at Synners following a 0-0 draw – after extra-time – in the north east five days ago.

Together with £2,500 in prize money, the victors will land a plum home tie against Northern League high-fliers West Auckland Town – shock conquerors of four-time winners Whitley Bay.

Bay’s 2-1 defeat ended a run of 29 games unbeaten in the competition – a sequence that had included a hat-trick of wins in the final at Wembley. Bay also won the Vase in 2002 at Villa Park.

Although Poppies are Jem Racing’s 25-1 outsiders for the silverware, Frampton and his team-mates have already upset the form book by reaching the fifth round for the first time in the club’s history.

Frampton told the Daily Echo: “Everybody probably thought Whitley Bay would beat West Auckland Town and go on to win the Vase for a fourth season running. It doesn’t always work out like that and it shows what a good team West Auckland are. You would rather meet the stronger teams in a one-off home quarter-final than over two legs in the semis.

“Billingham will be thinking the same and their away record is good so they will be a tough proposition on Saturday.

“We knew they were a good footballing side and they moved the ball around well against us. But we defended superbly and held firm. As a goalkeeper, you expect to have saves to make in every game but they didn’t trouble us too much. I had one straight at me and it was more of a catch than a save. Although they may struggle to play nice football on our pitch, we know they are going to be a threat. It is a long journey and it took us seven-and-a-half hours to get there so they are going to have to go through all of that. If we are on our game, we will have every chance.”

Frampton has played his part as Poppies have registered as many cup triumphs as Wessex League wins this season. The Winton-based outfit are also in the semi-final of the Wessex League Cup and took Conference South Truro to a replay in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup.

“It is like we have got two teams,” joked Frampton. “We’ve been unbelievable in the cups. We have defended superbly and scored lots of goals. In the league, we have been Jekyll and Hyde.

“People keep telling us we are a cup team and I think a few of the lads have started to believe them. As long as we keep winning, they can call us what they like!”

Jem Racing’s odds to win the FA Vase: 5-2 West Auckland, 100-30 Dunston UTS, 4-1 Staveley MW, 8-1 St Ives, 9-1 Shortwood, 12-1 Herne Bay, Peterborough Northern Star, 16-1 Billingham Synthonia, 25-1 Poppies.

Revised quarter-final draw: Shortwood v Herne Bay, Staveley MW v St Ives Town, Peterborough Northern Star v Dunston UTS, Billingham Synthonia or Poppies v West Auckland Town (ties to be played Saturday, March 3).