Round 6 – 1 March 2015 – Shaw Lane Aquaforce 2 Glossop North End 2 (AET).
Attendance 334
Another Saturday, another Vase game. Or so we thought.
The game at Shaw Lane was originally set for Saturday 28 Feb, but with the pitch unplayable after a huge amount of rain an alternative venue was being sort, and we eventually had to settle for a Sunday. All sorts of venues were considered, including Surrey Street, but eventually our Sunday trip was to be at a familiar venue, Sandy Lane, home of Handsworth Parramore, but also home of…Worksop Town!
The change in date was to be a boon for some and a bind for others. Jim and Pat Joyce were furious at the change, unable to make the revised date, but fellow home-and-away fans Keith & Glenys Thompson were delighted, having arranged a function for the Saturday that meant they had to stay home that day. Yin/Yang! Or is that Yang/Yin?
The familiar venue had one advantage according to Steve Hind –
“The Grafton Arms at Worksop was a real ale drinker’s delight; it seemed to find favour with most of us. As we were the away team but the ground was not exactly home for either of our opponents we rather took it over (in a nice way of course).”
Ian Barber recalls a nice bit of teasing from the Glossop North End faithful –
“A very healthy contingent of GNE fans soon settled in behind the goal. “You’re supposed to be at home” set the tone for the first half banter.”
And so, the game. It was the brothers Lugsden who were right at the thick of this one.
To get to the final of any competition you need a touch of good fortune along the way, and this was perhaps where Glossop North End got theirs. When Kelvin brought down Lee Morris in the area on 10 minutes, the big striker was just about heading away from goal, but it certainly looked a denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity. In showing just the yellow card the referee got it right in the laws of the game, but every Glossop North End fan had held their breath, as many referees would have dismissed him. Morris scored the spot kick, eventually, to give Shaw Lane Aquaforce the lead.
It was Kieran who levelled things up on 22 minutes latching onto Michael Bowler’s pass, but Glossop North End conceded yet another penalty in the first 10 minutes of the second half when Kelvin was harshly adjudged to have handled. However, who was that nodding home from a corner in the 78th minute…only Kelvin Lugsden!
Extra time was subdued; soaked by driving rain that also tired out bodies that were already flagging from an attritional 90 minutes. All back to Surrey Street next Saturday!
Replay – 7 March 2015 – Glossop North End 3, Shaw Lane Aquaforce 1 (AET).
Attendance 1010
It’s fair to say that by now the town was gripped by ‘Vase fever’. In the build up to the week estimates of attendances went up and up from club officials, from ‘we might get 800 or so’ on Monday to ‘I can see it being four figures’ by Friday. As it was, 1010 people packed into the ground to see another titanic battle between two strong sides.
Wind made it difficult to play and this was a muscular battle for the most part. A lot of long ball was played as territory became important in the gales. There was one glorious first half chance, but Chris Denham hit the side netting.
The game opened up a touch in the second half, and Martin Parker forced a good save from the SLA keeper but no breakthrough was made until the 77th minute, and then it was Shaw Lane that got it. Joe Thornton had slipped his marker and latched onto a pass into the box and banged his shot into the corner to send the visiting fans wild.
Almost immediately from a corner Martin Parker hit the post as Glossop tried to apply pressure, but as time ran out there was some anxiety off the pitch. Some fans believed, some fans thought it wasn’t going to happen, but they were all determined to back the Hillmen until it was fully played out.
Then, on 87th minutes the leveller came. Lee Blackshaw delivered lovely pass into the path of Sam Hind, entering the box on an angle. With no time to think, Hind instinctively leathered it across the face of the keeper and into the net, celebrating with the ‘tongue out’ pose that has become a defining image of this run.
In extra time Glossop North End were in the ascendancy, and the late goal seemed to have drained Shaw Lane legs of energy. There were 102 minutes on the watch when a ball was lofted over the full back towards Jason Carey at the corner of the 6 yard box. There was only a moment’s hesitation from the defence, but that was all Carey needed as he chested the ball down and poked a shot past the keeper. 2-1!
Glossop North End looked the more likely to extend, with SLA nearly spent. The keeper made a couple of good saves as time ticked away but then from a short corner Carey, expected to hold the ball and run down the clock, found a gap in the coverage and took the ball past two men, into the box, and shot across the keeper into the far corner, making it 3-1.
That was it. Injury time was almost up and memorably, as Shaw Lane tried to launch an attack, Skipper Dave Young was smiling and bantering with his opposite number Lee Morris – his words were along the lines of – don’t bother making another run Mozza, I’m tired and we’ve won it now!
Supporter’s club stalwart Dave Hampson summed it up nicely –
“What a game of mixed emotions. I thought we were going out when Shaw Lane scored but when we equalised we looked like the only winners.”
A fantastic result for everyone connected to this great club. It was like old times after the game with players and supporters heading back to the Friendship and celebrating together. This team is outstanding in the way it refuses to throw in the towel and keeps grinding away, our fitness is incredible and credit to the coaching team and the work of our Physio George. I also give HUGE credit to our gaffer who never lost the faith in his team and was picking others up who were beginning to fear the worse.
It’s true to say that this felt like a win for the whole club. A reward for the effort everyone had put in. And what a reward…a semi final of the FA Vase and a trip to Cornwall to play St Austell. It felt like we’d booked a family holiday!
