FA Vase Semi Final 2nd Leg
Staveley Miners Welfare (2) 2
Simon Barraclough 7, Chris Coy 37
Dunston UTS (1) 2
Andrew Bulford 16, Stephen Goddard 84
Dunston UTS win 3-2 on aggregate
Admission £5, Programme £1.50,
Attendance: 1050
Sent off:
Andrew Bulford 30 (DunstonUTS) 30.
Simon Barraclough (Staveley MW) 71.
With a little over five minutes to go and extra time looming large on the horizon, Stephen Goddard crashed the ball home off the underside of the crossbar, to shatter Staveley's FA Vase dreams and set up an all Northern League final, of Dunston UTS v West Auckland, at Wembley Stadium, on Sunday 13th May.
The game finished 10 a side, with both teams number 10's (both goalscorers on the day too as it happens) getting sent off along the way.
Andrew Bulford got his marching orders for a foul in the thirtieth minute (he had already incurred the wrath of the referee for over-celebrating his equalising goal with some boisterous, pitch invading, members of the crowd) and Simon Barraclough was given a straight red on 71 minutes, for giving Dunston's Kane Young a bloody nose, when he swung his arm into the Dunston number 6's face.
Barraclough isn't usually the sort of player that would resort to showing any kind of aggression, but today the red mists descended right in front of the referee.
During the same brief, but frantic spell, of pushing and shoving, Dunston's keeper clearly head-butted a Staveley player too, but the referee missed that one.
Though I don't see how on earth the referee's assistant, over by the side of the ground where I was sitting, never saw it.
By rule of thumb, these things balance themselves over the course of a season n' all that... but I've never heard of a thumb that talk swith any semblance of sense, have you!? Just saying.
A large crowd turned up at the rapidly developing (blink and you'll miss the next phase) Inkersall Road ground.
By 1.30pm there were already traffic jams building up around the locality... and the bar iat the ground was doing a brisk trade.
The majority of Dunston followers were in north Derbyshire to enjoy their day out and cheer their team on, but even on the approach to the ground, it was evident that a rowdy bandwagon jumping element from the north-east were in town too, who were intent on getting drunk, bad mouthing and antagonising the locals and generally behaving in a way not usually associated with Non League football.
But, it would be wrong to single out Dunston for criticism, or tar the the north-east in general with the same brush to this end, because virtually every club, at all levels of the football pyramid, has to suffer a number of bandwagon jumping fools like this, whenever they have a big day out.
For example, the worse violence I've ever witnessed at Wembley Stadium, was in the car park prior to the 1982 FA Vase Final between Forest Green Rovers and Rainworth Miners Welfare.
To this day, I still don't know which team the knife wielding mob who were running amok that day were purporting to be attached to, if any!
It won't be the first time I've seen their ilk, leaving a stain on the good character of any number of football club's hitherto impeccable reputations, nor sadly, will it be the last, unless I avoid any big occasions in future.
And I'm loathe to do that though, just because some safety in numbers big gobs, think chucking fireworks and beer glasses about, to celebrate their adopted team for the day's victory, is impressing anybody in any way whatsoever.
If like minded people, from different towns any cities, want to meet up and fight other gangs of a similar persuasion, I'll neither condone or condemn that, but ganging up on innocent fans who aren't interested in violence, or likely to fight back, well ... that's a school bully mentality and cowardice, isn't it!?
Staveley Miners Welfare (2) 2
Simon Barraclough 7, Chris Coy 37
Dunston UTS (1) 2
Andrew Bulford 16, Stephen Goddard 84
Dunston UTS win 3-2 on aggregate
Admission £5, Programme £1.50,
Attendance: 1050
Sent off:
Andrew Bulford 30 (DunstonUTS) 30.
Simon Barraclough (Staveley MW) 71.
The game finished 10 a side, with both teams number 10's (both goalscorers on the day too as it happens) getting sent off along the way.
Andrew Bulford got his marching orders for a foul in the thirtieth minute (he had already incurred the wrath of the referee for over-celebrating his equalising goal with some boisterous, pitch invading, members of the crowd) and Simon Barraclough was given a straight red on 71 minutes, for giving Dunston's Kane Young a bloody nose, when he swung his arm into the Dunston number 6's face.
During the same brief, but frantic spell, of pushing and shoving, Dunston's keeper clearly head-butted a Staveley player too, but the referee missed that one.
Though I don't see how on earth the referee's assistant, over by the side of the ground where I was sitting, never saw it.
By rule of thumb, these things balance themselves over the course of a season n' all that... but I've never heard of a thumb that talk swith any semblance of sense, have you!? Just saying.
A large crowd turned up at the rapidly developing (blink and you'll miss the next phase) Inkersall Road ground.By 1.30pm there were already traffic jams building up around the locality... and the bar iat the ground was doing a brisk trade.
The majority of Dunston followers were in north Derbyshire to enjoy their day out and cheer their team on, but even on the approach to the ground, it was evident that a rowdy bandwagon jumping element from the north-east were in town too, who were intent on getting drunk, bad mouthing and antagonising the locals and generally behaving in a way not usually associated with Non League football.
For example, the worse violence I've ever witnessed at Wembley Stadium, was in the car park prior to the 1982 FA Vase Final between Forest Green Rovers and Rainworth Miners Welfare.
To this day, I still don't know which team the knife wielding mob who were running amok that day were purporting to be attached to, if any!
It won't be the first time I've seen their ilk, leaving a stain on the good character of any number of football club's hitherto impeccable reputations, nor sadly, will it be the last, unless I avoid any big occasions in future.And I'm loathe to do that though, just because some safety in numbers big gobs, think chucking fireworks and beer glasses about, to celebrate their adopted team for the day's victory, is impressing anybody in any way whatsoever.
If like minded people, from different towns any cities, want to meet up and fight other gangs of a similar persuasion, I'll neither condone or condemn that, but ganging up on innocent fans who aren't interested in violence, or likely to fight back, well ... that's a school bully mentality and cowardice, isn't it!?
Anyway, enough of all that peripheral nonsense ... there was an important game of football played at Inkersall Road this afternoon, in front of 1000+ spectators.
And that attendance would've been even higher if there wasn't a 6,152 crowd at another match being played just down the road today, at the B2net Stadium, where both Chesterfield and Scunthorpe United were desperate for a win to help them in their fight against relegation from the npower League 1 into the Football League's basement division.
Just in case you were wondering, that other local game finished, Chez Vegas 1 v Sunny Scunny 4.
It makes you wonder why the thug-boy element that descended on 'Inky Road' today, didn't head for the Spireites game instead, if they really wanted a punch-up, because there are two sets of big lumps associated with both of those respective teams who would've been up for it. Truth is, we all know the answer to that conundrum... and so did this bunch of 'safety in numbers' beer-monsters.
The afternoon couldn't have started any better for Staveley... and with just six minutes on the clock, they had cancelled out Dunston's first leg lead, when Simon Barraclough netted with an angled shot across Liam Connell that flew into the Dunston goal. Game on!
But within ten minutes, the visitors were back in front on aggregate, when Michael Dixon's hopeful shot was turned into the bottom corner, beyond the reach of Ian Deakin, by Andrew Bulford, who ran away to celebrate with the noisy away fans behind the goal.
Bulford had also scored the only goal in the first leg.
And that attendance would've been even higher if there wasn't a 6,152 crowd at another match being played just down the road today, at the B2net Stadium, where both Chesterfield and Scunthorpe United were desperate for a win to help them in their fight against relegation from the npower League 1 into the Football League's basement division.
Just in case you were wondering, that other local game finished, Chez Vegas 1 v Sunny Scunny 4.
It makes you wonder why the thug-boy element that descended on 'Inky Road' today, didn't head for the Spireites game instead, if they really wanted a punch-up, because there are two sets of big lumps associated with both of those respective teams who would've been up for it. Truth is, we all know the answer to that conundrum... and so did this bunch of 'safety in numbers' beer-monsters.
But within ten minutes, the visitors were back in front on aggregate, when Michael Dixon's hopeful shot was turned into the bottom corner, beyond the reach of Ian Deakin, by Andrew Bulford, who ran away to celebrate with the noisy away fans behind the goal.
Bulford had also scored the only goal in the first leg.
The 'tackles' flew in thick and fast for a while.
It was definitely no place for the faint hearted out on the pitch during the opening exchanges.
Around the half hour mark, the referee pulled Bulford aside for lunging into a heavy tackle and red carded him.
When he'd booked for his goal celebration earlier o, it was, in my humble opinion, a harsh yellow card, because there wasn't really very much he could do to free himself from the clutches of some of the more exuberant visiting fans, who had come from behind the perimeter fence.
Before the break, it was very much 'advantage Staveley' against the ten men of Dunston, when Andrew Fox's effort from six yards out looked to be going agonisingly wide, but Chris Coy stuck out a foot steered the ball home, to make the score 2-1 on the day.
Daniel Craggs and Lee McAndrew, both broke into the box in first half stoppage time, but took too long to decide between them who was going to challenge Staveley's keeper Ian Deakin and Chris Fawcus, who impressed for Staveley at left back all afternoon, moved in sharpish and cleared the danger.
HT: Staveley MW 2 v Dunston UTS 1 (aggregate 2-2)
The longer the second half went on, the more Dunston's confidence seemed to grow.
Everybody present must've been expecting the hosts to go all out and put the visitors under pressure, but for whatever reason, they didn't.
Maybe Staveley got stage-fright, given that they were now so close to pushing on and going to Wembley for the first time in the club's history.
Perhaps they were sitting back and waiting to use their numerical advantage by hitting the visitors on the break.
Either way, a policy of all out attack and and actively seeking another goal, which would force Dunston into having to commit men forward, thus leaving themselves more exposed to further openings, would have been a much better game plan (granted, we're all wise after the event), but Staveley just seemed to be content to sit back and wait patiently for an opening to seize upon and strike a decisive blow.
Caution prevents abortion n' all that, but today such an approach backfired and worked against them in the end.
Most locals (and the hordes of neutral non-league followers from around the area) were on the edge of their seats, willing Staveley on and waiting for them to produce the kind of passing and attacking game that they've become renowned for. Alas, it just didn't happen.
And on seventy one minutes, the home sides numerical advantage was wiped out too, when Simon Barraclough lashed out and struck Kane Young in the face. Hence the 10 aside finale to the game.
It was definitely no place for the faint hearted out on the pitch during the opening exchanges.
Around the half hour mark, the referee pulled Bulford aside for lunging into a heavy tackle and red carded him.
Before the break, it was very much 'advantage Staveley' against the ten men of Dunston, when Andrew Fox's effort from six yards out looked to be going agonisingly wide, but Chris Coy stuck out a foot steered the ball home, to make the score 2-1 on the day.
Daniel Craggs and Lee McAndrew, both broke into the box in first half stoppage time, but took too long to decide between them who was going to challenge Staveley's keeper Ian Deakin and Chris Fawcus, who impressed for Staveley at left back all afternoon, moved in sharpish and cleared the danger.
HT: Staveley MW 2 v Dunston UTS 1 (aggregate 2-2)
The longer the second half went on, the more Dunston's confidence seemed to grow.Everybody present must've been expecting the hosts to go all out and put the visitors under pressure, but for whatever reason, they didn't.
Maybe Staveley got stage-fright, given that they were now so close to pushing on and going to Wembley for the first time in the club's history.
Perhaps they were sitting back and waiting to use their numerical advantage by hitting the visitors on the break.
Either way, a policy of all out attack and and actively seeking another goal, which would force Dunston into having to commit men forward, thus leaving themselves more exposed to further openings, would have been a much better game plan (granted, we're all wise after the event), but Staveley just seemed to be content to sit back and wait patiently for an opening to seize upon and strike a decisive blow.
Most locals (and the hordes of neutral non-league followers from around the area) were on the edge of their seats, willing Staveley on and waiting for them to produce the kind of passing and attacking game that they've become renowned for. Alas, it just didn't happen.
And on seventy one minutes, the home sides numerical advantage was wiped out too, when Simon Barraclough lashed out and struck Kane Young in the face. Hence the 10 aside finale to the game.
The north Derbyshire side had the ball far more than Dunston in the second half, but they were knocking it around and keeping things tight instead of pushing on and going for glory.
It was akin watching a tormenting cat toying with a mouse and playing for the long game, instead of pouncing and putting it out of it's misery.
It was akin watching a tormenting cat toying with a mouse and playing for the long game, instead of pouncing and putting it out of it's misery.
 |
Traditionally, all good cup ties are watched by a pair of
free-loading youngsters,using a nearby tree as a vantage point. I wonder if it's always the same two kids? |
With just over five minutes remaining Dunston rolled their sleeves up and mustered up one last push forward, before the game went into extra time.
And they made the home side pay with interest, for not taking this semi final tie by the scruff of it's neck earlier in the second half, when they'd had the initiative.
And they made the home side pay with interest, for not taking this semi final tie by the scruff of it's neck earlier in the second half, when they'd had the initiative.
Lee McAndrew, neatly passed the ball forward to Steven Shaw, who ran on and knocked a square ball across the area, right into the path of Stephen Goddard, who was charging into the box completely unmarked. There was nothing that Ian Deakin could do to prevent the goal, as Goddard bulged the back of his net with a crashing shot that went in off of the underside of the crossbar.
Cue even more noise and celebrations from the already very vocal Dunston fans, who had got behind their team well this afternoon and given them that extra lift towards the final push right at the end.
Cue even more noise and celebrations from the already very vocal Dunston fans, who had got behind their team well this afternoon and given them that extra lift towards the final push right at the end.
The real Dunston fans were a credit to their club and the north east region today, they celebrated at the final whistle with unrestrained glee.
Good for them, I hope they have a great time at Wembley and that the rent-a-mob 'fans for a day' idiots who were chucking glasses and fireworks about this afternoon, don't ruin their big day out for them.
FT: Staveley MW 2 v Dunston UTS 2 (Agg; 2-3)
Fair play to Dunston, they battled right until the end and gave no quarter and you've got to applaud their never say die attitude and say that, though both teams obviously wanted their day out at Wembley, ultimately, the visitors gritted and then showed their teeth just that little bit more today.
That's not a criticism of Staveley in anyway, but recognition of Dunston UTS's willingness to bust a gut and find that extra bit of inner determination and a second wind when it mattered most.
The all Northern League final at Wembley promises to be a cracking game.
Besides me and my very select group of companions, it would appear that some proper bloggers were also present at the Staveley MW v Dunston UTS game this afternoon.
For much wordier and far more accurate versions of what really happened, check out the following:
THE DRIBBLING CODE:
http://thedribblingcode.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/sat-31-march-2012-staveley-mw-v-dunston-uts-fa-vase/
THE100 FOOTBALL GROUNDS CLUB:
http://100groundsclub.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/my-matchday-312-inkersall-road.html
DAYTICKET TO PARADISE:
http://daytickettoparadise.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/staveley-mw-2-2-dunston-2-3-agg-fa-vase.html
THEGROUNDHOPPER:
http://stickypalms.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/staveley-mw-v-dunston-uts.html
Good for them, I hope they have a great time at Wembley and that the rent-a-mob 'fans for a day' idiots who were chucking glasses and fireworks about this afternoon, don't ruin their big day out for them.
FT: Staveley MW 2 v Dunston UTS 2 (Agg; 2-3)
Fair play to Dunston, they battled right until the end and gave no quarter and you've got to applaud their never say die attitude and say that, though both teams obviously wanted their day out at Wembley, ultimately, the visitors gritted and then showed their teeth just that little bit more today.
That's not a criticism of Staveley in anyway, but recognition of Dunston UTS's willingness to bust a gut and find that extra bit of inner determination and a second wind when it mattered most.
The all Northern League final at Wembley promises to be a cracking game.
For much wordier and far more accurate versions of what really happened, check out the following:
THE DRIBBLING CODE:
http://thedribblingcode.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/sat-31-march-2012-staveley-mw-v-dunston-uts-fa-vase/
THE100 FOOTBALL GROUNDS CLUB:
http://100groundsclub.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/my-matchday-312-inkersall-road.html
DAYTICKET TO PARADISE:
http://daytickettoparadise.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/staveley-mw-2-2-dunston-2-3-agg-fa-vase.html
THEGROUNDHOPPER:
http://stickypalms.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/staveley-mw-v-dunston-uts.html
