Match 9: Saturday 26th March 2011. Coalville Town v King's Lynn Town. Owen Street Sports Ground, Coalville.
Having of course seen the Ravens for each of the last two rounds, I had been convinced I had still not seen the team which would go onto win the competition, and with the re-formed and well supported King's Lynn Town heading to Leicestershire, less than two years after playing as high as the Conference North league, I told the missus that the Linnets could well progress comfortably to the final.
So, as if to emphasise the fact I know sod all about football, it was the Ravens who romped to a well deserved 3-0 success, which puts them firmly in the driving seat for the second leg next weekend.
Again it was a cold day as we parked up a few hundred yards away in Discovery Park's car park, which had been claimed for the day for many of the 1800 fans making their way to Owen Street. Well organised stewards kindly explained the route to the ground, handing out accompanying leaflets.
Further pleasant stewards greeted and assisted on the walkway down to the ground, and we picked up our tickets easily and went Into the ground, where the bands were playing and the jovial atmosphere was plain to see.
We lined up at the refreshment counter to grab our bacon "cobs" (bacon butties on standard teacakes to you and me) and coffees, and grabbed our position close to the opposition dugout.
We had a good crack with some of the home contigent, and even with a Lynn stalwart in the away dugout, although he understandably quietened down a great deal as the match went on.
The home side had the first chance of the match on six minutes, as Ryan Robbin's flick on into the goalmouth just eluded the outstretched leg of Matt Moore.
Lynn then enjoyed a few minutes of pressure, and on nine minutes Charlie Defty rose from a corner to bullet a header just wide of the upright when he should really have found the target.
Another chance came for the visitors on 13 minutes, when Luke Thurlborne supplied Jamie Alsop down the left. Alsop then fired in from a tight angle, and Bowles had to be alert to tip the ball over and keep the scores level.
The home side responded, and without doubt should have taken the lead themselves on 25 minutes. Callum Woodward scooted down the left and played an inch perfect ball across to the far post towards Moore. It looked odds to be a goal, but the Ravens forward somehow headed back across goal and wide of the left hand post.
But six minutes later Coaville grabbed the first goal. Robbins played a short corner to Woodward, who skipped to the byline and floated the ball across the face of goal for Lee Miveld to nod in at the back post from close range.
Lynn had a chance to equalise seven minutes before half-time after a mistake from Leigh Everitt allowed Thurlbourne to shoot across goal from the right, with Steve Spriggs just failing to stick a leg out at the far post.
It was all Coalville for the first 20 minutes of the second half, as Lynn struggled to get back into the game. Within two minutes there was a goalmouth scramble, and the goalkeeper's legs were able to divert away a Robbins shot.
A quick long punt downfield from Bowles after collecting a corner allowed Moore to scream in a shot on the turn on 50 minutes, but his effort narrowly missed the right hand upright.
Five minutes later though and Coalville did double their lead. A good run down the right saw the ball poked across goal, and though Jerome Murdock initially miscontrolled, he was somehow in acres of space and had ample time to compose himself and tap the ball home.
The pressure kept coming from the home side, and Ashley Brown played a great crossfield ball to Murdock, who cut inside from the left and forced a superb save from the visiting keeper.
But the pressure told, and on 63 minutes a ball down the right found Murdock, and he drifted inside and drilled a low angled shot across goal to grab his second and Coalville's third.
The home fans were in dreamland, while the visiting supporters at the bottom end of the ground were well and truly stunned and silenced.
However, Lynn then enjoyed a good 15 minute spell as the home side seemed content to hold onto what they had, and could have made them pay. Kieran Doherty blasted in a shot on 68 minutes which had the sting completely taken out of it, but Spriggs reacted brilliantly to fling himself and poke goalwards, only to be denied by his own bit of brilliance from Bowles, who diverted the ball around the post from point blank range.
Lynn did get the ball in the net a few minutes later, but were pulled up for offside, and with one final chance they again forced a super save out of Bowles when he turned away a shot on the turn in a crowded penalty area from Robbie Harris.
The final whistle went, and with it the Lynn fans made solemnly for the exits, while the home contingent celebrated wildly after a resounding win. It was well deserved for the Ravens, but I somehow felt there would be more twists and turns to come in a week's time down in Norfolk.
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 Kings Lynn Town 0
