FA Vase Final
Hereford FC 1-4 Morpeth Town
Purdie; Swailes, Carr, Taylor, Bell
By Stuart Dick at Wembley Stadium
Morpeth Town lifted the FA Vase on a historic afternoon at Wembley Stadium as the massive underdogs overcame Hereford FC 4-1.
However, it was not plain sailing for the Highwaymen who fell behind after just 75 seconds, but an equaliser from ‘the bionic man,’ 45-year-old Chris Swailes turned the tide for Town who went on to dominate the second period.
Semi-Final hero Luke Carr netted after just 32 seconds in the second half, before Sean Taylor and substitute Shaun Bell rounded off a memorable afternoon for the side in Amber & Gold.
The Bulls were heavily favoured going into the game, and looked on course to prove the bookmakers right in just the second minute. Joe Tumelty turned inside from the left wing, the winger picking out Rob Purdie in space 30 yards out.
Purdie hit a wicked dipping strike towards the bottom left hand corner, Karl Dryden’s fingertips not enough to prevent the ball nestling into the Morpeth net; the 19,000 strong Herford sent into jubilation.
Tumelty almost doubled the lead just a minute later, Morpeth unable to capitalise on a left wing throw as Jimmy Oates beat his man to the header. Mike Symons picked up the loose ball, relaying to Tumelty in space who dragged his shot wide.
With Hereford in the ascendency, the chances kept coming for the side in white. An alert Karl Dryden thwarted Sirdic Grant with a fine diving stop at the wingers’ feet.
Another chance fell to the Bulls in the tenth minute, Purdie’s right wing cross turned goal wards first time by Tumelty, but Dryden was in the right place to smother the effort.
Dryden was called into action once again not long after, Pablo Haysham’s headed effort skimming of the surface, forcing the Morpeth stopper into a sharp save.
As the clock reached the quarter of an hour mark Morpeth began to get a foothold into the game. Town’s first opportunity. James Novak picked out Sean Taylor on the edge of the area, his rasping strike tipped over the bar by Hereford’s Martin Horsell.
Hereford thought they had secured a vital second mid-way through the first period when Grant pinched the ball in a 50/50 with Novak, the winger advancing to the edge of the area, his left footed effort striking the top of Dryden’s crossbar.
Morpeth continued to build momentum as the half went on, Ben Sayer’s 20-yard effort the best of the chances, the strike narrowly sailing over the Hereford bar.
Soon after, the Highwaymen were level.
Sayer’s left-wing in-swinging corner was misjudged by Horsell, the ‘keeper flapping as the ball flew over his head into the path of Swailes who chested the ball home from three yards out, two lunging defenders unable to clear off the line as referee Stuart Atwell awarded the goal.
Morpeth should have taken the lead in the 40th minute. Taylor’s advanced down the left before rolling the ball across the penalty area where an unmarked Michael Chilton slotted the ball a whisker wide of the far post.
As strongly as Herford started the opening period, Morpeth matched this feat in the second half, netting within 60 seconds. Sayer’s edge of the area strike deflected to Taylor on the left edge of the penalty area.
Taylor found Carr who looked to shoot first time, but in the end had to play the ball back to Taylor. Carr drifted in front of his marker to reach Taylor’s return pass and rolled the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net across the ‘keeper.
Morpeth’s quick passing and flowing football was a joy to behold after the break, with the heavy favourites unable to cope with the passing ability of Keith Graydon and Sayer, the work ethic of Jordan Fry, the movement of Carr and Taylor, as well as the holdup play of Chilton.
On the hour mark Graydon, Chilton and Taylor combined to add the third. Graydon’s diagonal ball found Chilton on the edge of the area. The striker’s first touch allowed him the room to slide a through ball between the Hereford centre-backs and into the path of Taylor who slotted home past Horsell at his near post.
The introduction of 50-goal striker John Mills almost paid dividends for the Bulls with nineteen minutes remaining. He broke behind the Morpeth back line but at the crucial moment backed out of a challenge with Swailes, allowing Dryden to claim at his near post.
Hereford now were throwing men forward, Town looking to exploit the opposition on the counter, Sayer again the catalyst as he found substitute Steven Anderson rushing towards goal, the forward forcing Horsell into a comfortable save.
Hereford substitute Mustapha Bundu went close to pulling a goal back soon after, his curling effort dipping just wide of Dryden’s left-hand upright.
The Bulls were now controlling possession, but had little to no impact in the final third until the 89th minute when Bundu’s header was nodded over the bar by Damon Mullen on the goal line, keeping the two goal lead intact.
In the first minute of injury time, the clincher came, Substitute Bell’s lengthy run met the path of Steven Anderson’s through ball, bundling the ball home off the leg of a defender to send the Morpeth bench into raptures.
Three minutes later, Atwell blew the final whistle, Morpeth’s 4,000 fans sent into pandemonium as the Highwaymen won the FA Vase, the biggest triumph in the clubs 132-year history.
