Whitley Bay 3 Barwell 2

FA Vase Semi-Final Second Leg
Saturday 3rd April 2010
Hillheads Park, Whitley Bay

Attendance: 2730

Warm welcome but gloomy skies

A packed Hillheads Park in Whitley Bay included your correspondent for this eagerly anticipated Vase second leg. Bay were one game from a repeat trip to Wembley and with the tie delicately poised at 3-3, optimism was understandably high.

Johnston levels from the spot

The heavens open as we go through the turnstiles, past the temporary beer tent and on to the terraces to find a decent vantage point. The heavy rain puts a lid on any pre-match tweeting but the game itself unfolds into an epic.

The visitors' early strike straight from kick off is cancelled out on 8 minutes by a Bay penalty and early nerves are settled. On the ascendancy, Bay push forward and take a 2-1 lead - the game turns on its head as Bay go into half time a goal up whilst Barwell are a man down.

Ahem

Twenty minutes remain when the visitors strike to level the scores but as the game threatens to head towards extra time, the head of Paul Robinson sends Whitley Bay through to the final. Crowd goes wild, as the saying goes.

A friendly pitch invasion ensues and Bay's heroes are heading to Wembley to defend their FA Vase. Howay the Bay!

Pitch invasion!