Coalville Town 2 Whitley Bay 3
FA Carlsberg Vase Final
At: Wembley Stadium
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Programme: £4 (52 pages)
Attendance: 8778
Weather: warm and sunny
Duration: first-half: 47:10; second-half: 49:05
This was my first visit to the new Wembley Stadium for one of the highlights of my 2010/11 season.I decided to take the train and had lunch at Leon on Regent Street before a quick bit of sightseeing at Westminster.
The stadium was a lot bigger than I imagined and the seat (a padded cinema-style seat with drinks holder in front) was impressive. On a Stafford Rangers theme Coalville named two former heroes from the 1999/2000 Dr Martens League Western Division in the bench – Richard Williams (sub) and Leigh Everitt (not involved) – so I suppose I wanted them to win for that reason alone (no disrespect to Whitley Bay as seeing them celebrate winning the final for a third consecutive season will be a lasting memory of the day).
The game was a classic – twice Whitley Bay took the lead (Paul Chow 28th minute and Lee Kerr 61st minute) and twice Coalville equalised (Matt Moore 57th minute and Adam Goodby 80th minute). Extra time looked likely until Chow scored the 86th-minute winner.
Back in September 2007 I saw the Vase trophy at Kirkham and Wesham and they won it the following May. Last August I again saw the Vase trophy at Ryton when Whitley were the visitors and they went on the win the competition the same season. Could this work for one of my local sides next season?
Goals:
1-0 Paul Chow (28)
1-1 Matt Moore (57)
2-1 Lee Kerr (61)
2-2 Adam Goodby (80)
3-2 Paul Chow (86)
