SHOLING 1
Marvin McLean 70
SHOLING ended the Northern League‘s five year stranglehold on the FA Vase after Marvin McLean’s second-half winner won it for the Boatmen.
It was another Vase final heartbreak for Peter Dixon’s side who lost in the showpiece at the famous arch two years ago against Dunston UTS.
West, who started Neil Pattinson, Andrew Green and Matty Moffat from the 2012 side who lost to Dunston, had the first clear chance. Dennis Knight, playing behind the front two, played John Campbell through but Matt Brown came out quickly to deny him with his legs.
Sholing had more of the possession but it took until just after the half hour mark for them to get a real glimpse of goal.
Mike Carter played a lovely ball down the left-hand channel for McLean and the winger did well to get past right-back Pattinson before hitting his shot high and wide from inside the penalty area.
Campbell again tested the quality of the Boatmen’s goalkeeper but Brown was up to the test and did well to tip the striker’s 25-yard free-kick wide.
The second half began with a torrential downpour and almost a goal as Sholing right-back Tyronne Bowers flashed a shot wide from fully 30-yards.
Boatmen striker Lee Wort then almost found himself through but keeper Jordan Nixon did well to bravely punch away.
Barry Mason had an effort saved by Nixon before Moffat at the other end did well to chest down before lashing his effort well over.
And the Sholing pressure finally told. McLean was sent through again in the 70th minute and his effort seemed to take a deflection off the stretching Lewis Galpin before sailing over goalkeeper Nixon and into the net.
West pushed for an equaliser and the Boatmen fell deeper and deeper but the Northern League side couldn’t find the all important goal.
Dennis Knight’s curling free-kick was well tipped wide by Brown and then substitute Jonathan Gibson saw a header rebound back off the post in stoppage time as Dave Diaper’s men lifted the Vase.
Sholing: Brown; Bowers (Brewster 75), Bright, Castle (Miller 53), Diaper; Carter, Fennemore (Sawyer 78); Barry Mason, Byron Mason, McLean; Wort.
Subs not used: Jarvis, Watts.
West Auckland Town: Nixon; Pattinson, Hall, Galpin, Green (Gibson 63); Briggs, Close, Vipond (Banks 76); Knight; Moffat (Richardson 74), Campbell.
Subs not used: Garthwaite, Wilkinson.
Attendance: 5,431
Referee: David Coote
