Winning the FA Vase the Whitley Bay way

May 11 2009 by Steve Brown, The Journal

TONIGHT, Lee Kerr and Paul Chow will take a stroll around St James's Park. Newcastle United could do worse than ask them to stick on their boots and play.

The rest of Whitley Bay’s victorious FA Vase team, too. For while the Magpies and Middlesbrough slug it out in the footballing gutter, the Seahorses are dancing among the stars, having finally bestowed on the North East game a dash of much-needed pride and, of course, silverware.

As reward for beating Glossop at Wembley yesterday, they will parade the pitch at Gallowgate come half time. They will probably get, and deserve, a better reception than their United and Boro counterparts. Against a useful North West Counties Premier side, the equivalent of their own Northern League, they were nonetheless a league apart.

That now-familiar double act of Kerr and Chow scored the goals but there were heroes everywhere. The back five of keeper Terry Burke and defenders Mark Taylor, Leon Ryan, David Coulson and Mark Taylor, shielded by the relentless Damon Robson, were immense, and only ever truly looked in any danger when Nick Allen’s long-ranger crashed against the bar after 22 minutes.

But in that respect, the Bay already had a trump card. Five minutes earlier, and following a nervy, cagey opening, Adam Johnston attempted possibly the most audacious goal effort Wembley – and not just the new one – has ever seen, only for his 60-yard strike (yes, that’s the halfway line) to be palmed on to the crossbar, and safety, by Glossop keeper Matt Cooper.

Moments later, Bay’s tactical curve-ball of starting perennial right-winger Chris Moore on the left, and Craig McFarlane on the right to counter Glossop’s supposed star man Dave Hodges, was abandoned and, reverting to type, with these two of constant threat on the flanks, the Bay began to dictate matters.

Chow headed a long Picton throw wide and Kerr arced a free kick at Cooper. Yet Glossop were no mugs, and inside the 35th minute Darren Hamilton and Hodges both tested Burke.

Seconds later, they were behind. Cutting in from the right, Chow squared to Kerr. His deft touch ignited consternation between Glossop defenders Jamie Kay and Danny Yates, who collided, freeing Kerr to slip by and steer the ball inside Cooper’s near-post from a tight angle.