FA Vase Final 2008 - minute by minute

A step by step account of how the 2008 FA Vase Final unfolded.

1 minute – Kirkham & Wesham kick off, playing from left to right in front of the Royal Box, and attacking the end where the Lowestoft Town supporters are massed.

5 minutes – the first chance of the game. Kirkham fail to deal with a ball into the penalty area, Tony Keefe is poleaxed by a shot from Russell Stock and the ball falls to Ross King on the edge of the box whose shot is comfortably saved by Kirkham keeper Pete Summerfield.

7 minutes – Kirkham’s first chance. Allan Jackson fires a cross towards Mark Wane, but a defender gets a touch as Wane waits to pounce.

10 minutes – Disaster strikes. Lowestoft left back Matthew Potter fires a hopeful cross into the penalty area from just inside the Kirkham half. Phil Thompson is under pressure and goes to head clear, but instead sends a looping header over his keeper Summerfield and the ball creeps in just under the junction of crossbar and post.

17 minutes – Ged Smith earns the first yellow card of the game from referee Andy D’Urso for a trip.

21 minutes – Lowestoft’s Bradley Hough goes on a mazy run down the right, and gets into the Kirkham penalty area, but is stopped in his tracks by a blocking tackle.

24 minutes – A Mike Clark chip finds its way through to Mark Wane, who for a moment looks in on goal but the ball skids away from him on the lush Wembley turf.

27 minutes – A foul on Mark Wane on the right wing gives Kirkham a free kick in a good position, but Smith’s free kick runs all the way through to Lowestoft keeper Andy Reynolds.

30 minutes – Kirkham’s best chance of the first half. Sean Paterson fires in a shot that the keeper touches onto post, and the ball rebounds back towards the fortunate Reynolds who grabs the ball at the second attempt.

36 minutes – Kirkham pick up their second yellow card, Paul Eastwood this time incurring the wrath of the referee for a lunge after the ball had gone.

37 minutes – Ged Smith tries his luck from 25 yards but his shot is blocked by a defender.

40 minutes – A good move begins with Phil Blackwell setting Sean Paterson free on the left, and from his cross Mark Wane has a shot blocked on the line by Neal Plaskett.

43 minutes – The last opportunity of the first half goes to Lowestoft, a Jamie Godbold through ball sends Russell Stock through on goal, before he is halted by a great challenge from Dougie Shaw, who nicks the ball away as Stock shaped to shoot.

Half time (after one minute of added time) – Kirkham & Wesham 0 Lowestoft Town 1

46 minutes – Lowestoft Town make a substitution, with Dale Cockrill replacing older brother Darren.

50 minutes – First chance of the second half is created by Lowestoft, when a good run by Bradley Hough wins a corner on the right, and when the corner comes in Neal Plaskett sends a looping shot just wide of Summerfield’s far post.

51minutes – Up to the other end, and when the ball is swept wide to Ged Smith, he fires a shot across the face of the goal.

53 minutes – Both sides make a substitution. Lowestoft bring on Reece Hunn for Ross King, and for Kirkham & Wesham Ritchie Allen replaces Tony Keefe, with Ged Smith moving to left back as Allen slots in to midfield.

56 minutes – The most impressive Lowestoft player so far is midfielder Jamie Goldbold, and after a surging run he shoots wide of the post from 30 yards.

57 minutes – A ball finds Mark Wane inside the six yard box, but he is crowded out as he tried to get a shot in. Straight up at the other end, Dale Cockrill shoots wide from long range.

59 minutes – Once again Godbold has Kirkham hearts in mouths as he beats the offside trap down the right, advances into the box and fires in a powerful shot that is beaten away by Summerfield.

63 minutes – Richard Woodrow becomes the first Lowestoft player to be booked, after a foul on Dougie Shaw.

72 minutes – After a spell of no chances at either end, a rare Lowestoft foray down the left finds Bradley Hough in space, and he cuts inside to fire a shot wide of the far post.

73 minutes – An incredible escape for Lowestoft after a mix up inside the penalty box. A Paul Eastwood shot is blocked, the ball rebounds to Mark Wane whose shot is stopped on the line, and when the ball falls to Sean Patterson, he sees his effort brilliantly pushed away by Lowestoft keeper Andy Reynolds for a corner kick.

74 minutes – A strong run from Allan Jackson down right ends with him playing a pass into Paterson, who shoots just wide.

77 minutes – Another surging run from Jackson on the right produces a tempting cross into the six yard box, but Lowestoft keeper Reynolds is there to claim the ball.

78 minutes – That run turns out to be Jackson’s last involvement in the game, as the fourth official holds up the board to signal that Matt Walwyn is about to enter the fray. A striker for a full back suggests that Kirkham & Wesham boss Mick Fuller is going for broke, and this is confirmed when the players regroup with just a back three of Thompson, Shaw and Smith. In the meantime Lowestoft use their final substitute with Gary McGee replacing Carl Poppy.

81minutes - McGee makes his first contribution with a long range shot that is easily dealt with by Kirkham keeper Summerfield.

82 minutes – A strong run by Ritchie Allen wins a corner on the left, and when the kick is swung in by Ged Smith, Phil Thompson’s header is collected under the crossbar by Lowestoft keeper Reynolds.

84 minutes – GOAL!!! – Ged Smith feeds the ball to Mike Clark, who sends a long ball down the left wing to Sean Paterson. With a defender closing in, Paterson’s pass with the outside of his foot falls perfectly into the path of Matt Walwyn, who shrugs off a challenge and squeezes the ball at the near post.

86 minutes – A galvanised Kirkham & Wesham look to go for the kill and a terrific mazy run by Ritchie Allen from halfway is halted by a last gasp challenge on the edge of the box as he shaped to shoot.

87 minutes – A route one long clearance from Pete Summerfield carries all the way to the edge of the Lowestoft penalty area, and Matt Walwyn just fails to connect before Lowestoft keeper Reynolds gathers the ball.

88 minutes – Ged Smith sees a gap and goes on a run down the left flank. With time and space to pick out Matt Walwyn in the box, his cut back is perfect but Walwyn’s shot is straight at the keeper.

90+ 2 minutes – GOAL!!!!! The ball lands at Dougie Shaw’s feet inside his own half, and he dinks a ball over the top to Paterson who sets off down the left flank in acres of space. The Lowestoft players stop and appeal for offside, but play is waved on, and as Paterson faces up to a one on one with the keeper, he spots the unmarked Matt Walwyn in the centre, and unselfishly squares the ball to the youngster who taps into the empty net.

90 + 3 minutes – After the celebrations subside, Kirkham make their final substitution as James Sheppard replaces Sean Paterson.

90 + 4 minutes – The final action of the game produces one final heart stopping moment for Kirkham & Wesham, when Jamie Godbold finds space wide on the left to send a cross into the box, but Matthew Potter heads wide.

The final whistle blows, and as the Kirkham & Wesham players celebrate, Sean Paterson is announced as the sponsors man of the man of the match.

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