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First leg drama for Bay as they draw at Barwell - Video
WHITLEY BAY have been involved in a number of exciting cup ties in recent years, but Saturday's FA Vase semi-final at Barwell must rank one of the most dramatic.
Two goals down with less than three minutes to go, it looked as if Whitley would be facing an enormous task in the second leg if they were to win through to Wembley for a second successive season.
Barwell must have thought the game was won, but they were left stunned as Paul Chow hit them with two late goals, the second coming as the game entered stoppage time.
With a record-breaking four figure crowd packed into the Leicestershire side's ground, the game was preceded by a gesture of true sportsmanship and humanity as the Barwell players and management, having learned of Mark Taylor's battle with motor neurone disease, made an impromptu collection in aid of the player, who despite his illness is still an integral part of Ian Chandler's squad.
On a bright and sunny afternoon, Whitley looked the more composed team in a tentative opening period, while the Barwell players seemed rather overawed by the occasion.
The Bay side, most of whom have two years' experience of Vase semi-finals, were passing the ball to feet and enjoying the majority of possession on what was a rather bobbly surface.
The first goalmouth incident of note came with 14 minutes on the clock and it produced the opening goal.
Richard Hodgson played the ball out to Chris Fawcett on the right wing, who went past defender Adam Wykes before delivering a perfect cross into the goalmouth where Phill Bell leapt above the Barwell defence to head home from close range.
Two minutes later, Barwell's Craig Dutton was booked for a clumsy challenge on Fawcett, just as he was about to break clear down the wing.
Bell then fired in a 25-yard shot but Barwell keeper Liam Castle made a comfortable save low down.
What turned out to be a turning point in the game occurred in the 22nd minute when David Coulson fell to the ground with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
It came as he went to challenge for the ball with Barwell striker Adam Cunnington but fell awkwardly.
After lengthy treatment, during which a stretcher was called for, he was helped from the field, hobbling badly.
It later emerged that the injury was not as bad as first feared, but he is doubtful for next week's second leg.
Lee Picton was brought on in his place, but before Whitley had time to reorganise, Barwell capitalised when for the first time they were given space by the Whitley defence and Kevin Charley crossed unchallenged from the right and the tall Cunnington headed past Terry Burke into the corner of the net.
Straight from the restart Whitley attacked and Adam Johnston lobbed the ball over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.
Two minutes later, Castle showed just why he is so highly rated when he pulled off a superb one handed save to push the ball clear after Bell's flick from a left wing cross looked destined for the far corner of the net.
Five minutes before the interval, Whitley allowed Cunnington to break down the right from the halfway line and his pace took him beyond Picton.
He then jinked past Leon Ryan on the edge of the area before firing a great shot across goal and into the far corner, leaving Burke helpless.
Whitley were struggling to cope with the absence of Coulson and found themselves 2-1 down at half-time.
Paul Robinson, so often a key player for Whitley, was struggling to make his usual impact on the game and was substituted early in the second half, Callum Anderson taking his place.
After Francis had headed over, Dutton crashed a 20-yard shot against the bar for the home side moments after defender Scott Lower had bravely blocked a goal bound effort from Johnston at the other end.
Barwell were proving a strong physical side and Cunnington was booked after bringing down Craig McFarlane.
Bell became involved in the incident and he too was cautioned.
A crucial point in the game came with 20 minutes to go when Chow came off the bench in place of Hodgson, who like Robinson, was not proving as effective as usual.
Kerr dropped back to midfield while Chow partnered Johnston up front.
Almost immediately Chow blazed a shot high over the bar and out of the ground, but much better was to come in the closing stages.
The dangerous Cunnington was in and out of the game but with 14 minutes left, his pace and skill on the ball left both Picton and Kerr struggling as he waltzed through from midfield before cutting the ball across goal to the edge of the six-yard box where Charley slotted the ball past Burke from eight yards.
At 3-1 Barwell looked in control of the tie, let alone the game, and Whitley were facing a huge battle to keep their hopes of Wembley alive.
Despite their lead though, Barwell were not mounting sustained attacks and apart from the goals, were not seriously testing Burke.
Instead it was Whitley who poured forward with renewed determination and Johnston, who had not made a great impact earlier in the game, began to create problems for the normally watertight Barwell defence.
Twice he brought stunning saves from Castle when it looked as if he must score and with time ticking away, hope was draining away from the massed ranks of Whitley fans.
However, with just two minutes of the 90 left, all that changed when Lee Kerr's long throw down the line from halfway reached Johnston, who took the ball towards the right corner flag before going past two defenders as he cut in.
He then crossed the ball into the goalmouth where Chow came in unmarked to head home from close range.
The visiting fans went wild with delight and having reduced the deficit to one goal with this late strike, Whitley were now back in the tie.
However, the drama was not over just yet.
Urged on by upwards of 400 fans, and with the game entering stoppage time, Whitley launched another attack on the home goal.
Barwell were penalised for a foul some 25 yards out and Kerr's free kick was cleared only as far as Bell.
Somewhat ironically, after a series of magnificent saves, Castle fumbled Bell's shot from the edge of the area and Chow pounced to poke home the loose ball.
The great escape was completed and at the final whistle, the fans who had made the long journey from the north east celebrated as if Whitley had won, while the Barwell players left the field looking dejected, perhaps feeling they had let slip their chance of a first ever appearance at Wembley.
Psychologically, this comeback should give Whitley an advantage in the second leg, but as both managers said after the game, the tie is far from won and there is everything still to play for at Hillheads on Saturday when the backing of a crowd of around 3,000 fans could be what makes the difference.
Whitley Bay: T Burke, C McFarlane, C Fawcett, R Hodgson (P Chow 71 mins), D Coulson (L Picton 25 mins), L Ryan, P Bell, D Robson, L Kerr, A Johnston, P Robinson (C Anderson 56 mins). Subs not used: T Kindley, J Gillies.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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