Match 10: Saturday 2nd April 2011: Kings Lynn Town v Coalville Town. The Walks Stadium, King's Lynn.
My team Coalville had done themselves a huge favour by winning the first leg of the semi last weekend 3-0, but there was just a sneaky suspicion that in front of a crowd of almost 2,400, this tie was far from done.e
The trip down was plain sailing, with the only snag a couple of stewards out on the street who didn't seem to know what day of the week it was, let alone where they should be directing us to park.
Starving ahead of kick-off, I thought we'd make our way into the ground, savour the atmosphere, and tuck into some serious stodge. As it was, we had one chap running a crap van with nothing other than £3 Rollover hot dogs which would "take another ten minutes", as he was unable to keep up with demand. There was no beer, and only lukewarm brews or cans. Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence, Lynn fans tucked into alcohol, burgers, the works.
From the hospitality efforts shown at both grounds, you would have imagined it was the Leicestershire side who had been used to playing at Conference level, not the Norfolk one. So well done to Coalville on that score, and a massive thumbs down to King's Lynn.
Anyway, onto the match itself, and there certainly was some tension in the Coalville end as the match got underway, with many worried an early goal for the home side would really put this tie back in the melting pot.
As it was, the home side started sluggishly, and it was the Ravens who struck first in just the sixth minute. To be fair, the award of the free-kick, 25 yards out, was somewhat generous, and there was more than a stroke of luck with the goal as Callum Woodward's shot towards right of goal was heavily deflected across to the left, leaving Alex Street helpless.
It was a goal which the home side had to come back strongly from, but, sadly for their supporters, it proved just the opposite, and they were really playing poorly, with only Steve Spriggs showing much lively endeavour.
First leg hero Jerome Murdock almost doubled Coalville's lead midway through the half when he collected the ball 25 yards out, and his shot had to be tipped away by a flying save from Street.
It was two on 30 minutes though, and it was Murdock again, this time latching onto a delightful through ball to slot the ball under the advancing street to all but kill off the tie.
Lynn tried to respond, and made one foray into the area down the left, but Luke Thurlborne's poke goalwards was well blocked by a Ravens defender. A corner towards the end of the first half for them was met powerfully by the head of Ross Watson, but it went well over the bar.
There was no great change at the start of the second half, and Matt Moore could have made it three after collecting a ball through the middle, but his shot was deflected over the bar.
And then, out of nowhere, the home side grabbed two quickfire goals to give themselves a glimmer of hope. On 56 minutes a long throw from out on the right was nodded on into the area by Jack Defty, and Robbie Harris swivelled to fire across into the left hand corner.
Two minutes later and the scores were level on the day. Jamie Thurlborne went bombing down the left, and, after the Coalvile defence had stood off him, crashed a shot off the right hand upright. First to react was Harris, and he superbly stroked home first time from the rebound to wake up the home contingent.
Coalville were definitely rattled, and only the fact that a header from a free kick was directed straight at Bowles three minutes later prevented the home side taking the lead on the day.
But though that double whammy had changed the game somewhat, another double whammy 20 minutes from time confirmed it would be Coalville who would be enjoying the trip to Wembley.
Moore collected the ball on the half way line down the left, and as he ventured down the wing he was clumsily brought down by Ross Watson. Somewhat harshly in my opinion, Watson received a second yellow card, and Lynn were down to ten men.
And within a minute they were a goal down on the day, as Moore weaved his way down the left before passing inside to Matt Gardner, who blasted the ball beyond the keeper from 10 yards and killed off the game.
Sadly this started off a bit of crowd trouble, and the police had to be drafted in to prevent some of the home 'fans', by this time not interested in the match in the slightest, making their way across to the Coalville end.
The match petered out for the last quarter hour, and we had our eyes on the opposing fans as much as the game, but eventually time was up, and while the home fans drifted away, the Ravens fans - held back for half an hour after the game - celebrated with their players and management team.
There's no doubt that Coalville fully deserved their place in the final, and to learn that a desperately poor King's Lynn had a 100% home record for the season going into the match was somewhat of a surprise.
Way back in July last year when I decided to undertake this task, I did myself think it was a probably a foolish - as well as brave - thing to suggest, but forum users goldengoal and alderbaran inspired me to see it through.
And other than one hairy trip to Holbrook on a dismal midweek night, I think I've been pretty lucky to have ended up where I did. A replay at Lancing, or a semi final at Poole were distinct possibilities at one time or another, but, as Phil Collins once sang, 'Against All Odds' both myself, and indeed Coalville - being major underdogs for the semi - will be making a weekend of it down in the big city ahead of the final on Sunday 8th May.
FA VASE TRAIL SO FAR (team followed in capitals)
1st Qualifying Round
Sat 04 Sep 3pm NELSON v Abbey Hey (walkover for Abbey Hey)
2nd Qualifying Round
Sat 18 Sep 3pm ABBEY HEY 0 Oldham Boro 0 (after extra time)
2nd Qualifying Round Replay
Tue 21 Sep 7.45pm Oldham Boro 3 ABBEY HEY 2 (after extra time, played at Abbey Hey)
1st Round
Sat 02 Oct 3.00pm St. Helens Town 2 OLDHAM BORO 1 (played at Ashton Town)
2nd Round
Sat 13 Nov 3.00pm Winterton Rangers 0 ST. HELENS TOWN 2
3rd Round
Wed 15 Dec 7.45pm Holbrook Sports 4 ST. HELENS TOWN 0
4th Round
Sat 29 Jan 3.00pm HOLBROOK SPORTS 2 Lancing 1
5th Round
Sat 12 Feb 3.00pm Coalville Town 3 HOLBROOK SPORTS 1 (after extra time)
Quarter Final
Sat 05 Mar 3.00pm COALVILLE TOWN 1 Leiston 0
Semi Final 1st Leg
Sat 26 Mar 3.00pm COALVILLE TOWN 3 King's Lynn Town 0
Semi Final 2nd Leg
Sat 02 Apr 3.00pm King's Lynn Town 2 COALVILLE TOWN 3 (aggregate 2-6)
