Today I am off to another Cup Final. It's the Birmingham County FA's Saturday Vase Final that beckons to me. The teams taking part are Whitnash Town( who hail from Leamington and play in the Coventry Alliance league and Wrens Nest come from the Dudley area and play in the West Midlands Regional League, Div 1.
The weather forecast is not bad at all. Cloudy with sunny intervals but with the chance of a shower from about 5pm. That's OK by me as the Final starts at 2pm.
I have no problems with my train journey to Birmingham and soon I take the Rugeley train which takes me to the Tame Bridge Parkway station from where I walk to the County FA's, Ray Hall Lane ground. I'm a bit surprised when I pay my entrance fee to the ground, when I find out it's £5 today, rather than the £3 I had paid for the Junior Cup final I'd seen in March. This fee includes the match programme, which I study before a few minutes prior to the kick off. I note that Whitnash have beaten 4 Midland Football League teams on their way to today's final, namely Hampton, Barnt Green, Alcester Town and the mighty Coventry United in their semi-final who have been the runaway winners of the 2nd Division. Indeed they were last season's beaten finalists when they lost narrowly to Cadbury Athletic.
Wrens Nest had a close 1-0 win over the long term leaders of the Birmingham AFA Premier Division, Old Wulfrunians, in their semi-final and have made a good showing in the 1st Division of the West Midlands League after being promoted and currently lie in a creditable 6th place.
The teams come out in their usual first team colours, Wrens Nest in amber shirts and black shorts while Whitnash are in white shirts and black shorts.
When play starts, after 4 minutes the Whitnash keeper, Neil Stacey, spills a shot and a Wrens Nest player hits the rebound just wide.
It's very apparent even in the early stages of this match that play is very even between both of these teams.
Whitnash are the next team to go close when a cross of theirs is headed over his own bar by the Wrens Nest No.6 and from the resultant corner Whitnash have a header that goes just wide.
Wrens Nest fashion a good chance when their player, Todd Warner curls in a shot to the top corner but keeper Stacey tips it over the bar.
The last 10 minutes see Whitnash take the upper hand and just before half time their No.5 sees his header cleared off the line.
It's half time and even now I am thinking that extra time is a likely outcome in this match due to the evenness of the play and not that many clear cut chances being created.
I have been chatting to a guy who is a groundhopper who has come from Leicester today. It's his first visit to this ground and is certainly impressed by it. He tells me a bit about some of the clubs in the Leicester and East Midlands area and then the official match photographer, Gary Griffiths (of 353 Photography) walks over and tells us that he and his family have been moving house the day before and feels a bit in turmoil over the whole process and is glad to be at the match today.
So the second half starts and again play is pretty even. After 56 minutes a Wrens Nest attack sees the ball hoisted down the middle and their No.11 latches on to the ball but sees his shot saved by Stacey.
Whitnash's No.8 goes close when he sees his shot just go the wrong side of the left hand post.
Wrens Nest though are presented with a great chance to take the lead when in the 65th minute they are awarded a penalty. They had played a free kick in to the Whitnash penalty area and one of their players had been pushed.
Joe Lawley takes the kick but Neil Stacey dives to his right to make a great save. He look a bit dodgy on crosses sometimes but he's a good shot stopper!
3 minutes later and Whitnash make a good attack down the right and their No.10, Ross Briscoe sees the Nest keeper Aaron Morris make a brave save at his feet.
Extra time beckons but with just 4 minutes remaining, Ross Briscoe is played through on goal and lobs the advancing Morris to break the deadlock. Just 2 minutes later and it's all over! The ball is punted down the left after the break up of a late Wrens Nest attack and it's Briscoe again to make a great first time volley that sends the ball racing in to the far corner of the net. A worthy match winning effort!
So Whitnash Town have done it and have atoned for their defeat in their last visit here.
Match winner Ross Briscoe is unsurprisingly awarded with the Man of the Match award and then the Whitnash skipper (holding his young son) is given the trophy and holds it aloft in celebration (as shown below).
A good evenly contested match and Wrens Nest will be kicking themselves for not taking their chances (especially the penalty).
Match entrance fee: £5
Match programme: free with entrance fee
Match attendance: approximately 80
Match entertainment: 7/10
More match photos at http://facebook.com/wmtraveller
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