Hereford 1 Morpeth Town 4

Match 101/15/1306 - Sunday, 22nd May 2016 - FA Vase Final

Hereford (1) 1 Purdie 2
Morpeth Town (1) 4 Swailes 34, Carr 46, Taylor 59, Bell 90+1
Combined Attendance: 46,781

Combined Entrance: £10 Senior
Programme: Sold Out
Mileage: 100/7,115

Match Report

The Football Association came up with an innovative idea for the Finals of Vase and Trophy, make it a Non-League Finals Day. There were some minor flaws in their plan, but I hope they decide that it was successful enough to follow it up with another next season. Two Finals, for the senior citizen price of £10, what was there not to like?

I set this day out as an All About Me day. Early train to alight at Stonebridge Park for a short walk down to the Ace Cafe at Hanger Lane to share a big breakfast with a cafe-full of bikers. Great start, lesson to be learnt though, earlier train needed so the breakfast can be consumed leisurely.

I bought a ticket for the neutral area when they first came on sale and these turned out to be Club Wembley seats. The seats are comfortable, the view was perfect, not too far behind the Royal Box and adjacent to the FA's greater and good. But, as I found out when we had tickets there for Gillingham's 2009 Play-Off Final against Shrewsbury, the atmosphere can be a bit sterile.

Speaking to the fellow neutrals around me, and a heavily debated issue on social media, everybody was disappointed, if not annoyed, that the FA had reneged on their pledge that people would be free to exit and re-enter the stadium in between the two games. Many felt they were being held hostage to Wembley's expensive food and drink prices.

Of greater concern to me personally, was the lack of a programme. As I was a little short of time, I walked past the programme sellers on the way into the stadium with the thought that between the games I would purchase one, but this was a bad decision as they had sold out by that time. It became apparent later that this was an issue in all areas of the ground and the Halifax and Grimsby supporters arriving later had no chance. Lesson to the FA, non-league fans love a programme, print enough.

The overall attendance of 46,781 was impressive, and I would think pleased the FA no end, but that figure was inflated with the huge Hereford following of around 20,000. It was a magnificent turnout dwarfing that of the other three competing clubs, but I have an issue with re-formed clubs that re-enter the pyramid at Step Six being allowed into the Vase at the first opportunity. In my opinion clubs that are liquidated and entering at Step Six should not be allowed to enter the Vase for two seasons in which time they will find their true level. If they haven't made it into Step Five and Trophy football by that time, then the Vase is the right competition for them.

The game itself was a credit to Step Six with a wonderful performance from Morpeth Town, who put a nightmare opening 20 minutes behind them to thoroughly outplay their more illustrious opponents.

Hereford roared out of the traps on the back of the wall of noise produced by their supporters and it it took just 75 seconds for them to be rejoicing. Rob Purdie strode forward, unchallenged, and from 30 yards struck a sweet shot into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Karl Dryden. In the next 20 minutes, it looked for all to see, that this could be the most one-sided Vase Final of all time. Morpeth were being torn apart and chances for Hereford to increase their lead were plentiful. Dryden made good saves to deny Sirdic Grant and Pablo Haysham before Grant cracked a shot from the edge of the penalty area against the bar. When Haysham completely miscued from literally inches from a pull backed cross, the mind began to wonder whether Hereford might rue these lost chances.

Slowly but surely, encouraged that they had survived the opening assault just a goal behind, Morpeth got a toe-hold in the game. Those toes became a solid foot when, after 34 minutes, Morpeth's grand old man, Chris Swailes, bundled the ball into the net after the Bulls' goalkeeper, Martin Horsell had failed to deal with a corner. Swailes wrote his own piece of history becoming the oldest man, at 45 years old, to score in a Wembley final.

With that goal it was as if somebody had pulled out the plug and the confidence drained away from Hereford.

Just as the first half had an explosive beginning, so did the second. A thoughtfully worked move ended with Sean Taylor putting the ball into the box for Luke Carr to steer his shot into the far corner after just 42 seconds.

Just before the hour mark, Morpeth opened clear daylight as a superb through ball from Michael Chilton sent Sean Taylor clear who completed a composed finish past Horsell.

From a position of complete dominance in the opening 20 minutes, Hereford were now in danger of capitulating without so much of a whimper as Morpeth picked them off on the break with ease.

Morpeth completed another Vase success for the North-East, seven in the last eight years, when in time added, Shaun Bell benefitted from a heavy deflection to complete the emphatic scoreline.

An hugely entertaining Final, and this was only supposed to be the hors d'oeuvres.