It’s been a fair wait between the semi-final and final of the FA Vase, some six weeks but it’s not been dull in Sussex for Littlehampton fans. With the Southern Combination Premier Division title and promotion to the Isthmian League coupled with the Peter Bentley Cup already secured by the Marigolds, a trip to Wembley sandwiched yet another final to come later this week.
618 teams entered the Vase this year and Town were finalists for the first time ever, indeed the first time a Sussex non-league side had reached Wembley, a game that is unlikely to come around again it people’s lifetime.
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7,000 fans made the trip to the home of football on a sunny Sunday lunchtime hoping the next leg of the quadruple was heading down to the South Coast by mid-afternoon.
Having watched Town on 13 previous occasions this season there hadn’t been any let up all year and relentless at times had seen them notch over 200 goals with 106 coming from Joe Benn and George Gaskin, the former on 59 for the season, the latter on 47.
Newport Pagnell weren’t there to make up the numbers though and although they finished a fair way behind the leaders in the United Counties League Premier Division South you don’t reach a major final without having something about you, around a similar number of fans had followed the Swans down the M1 to cheer them on.
With the sun beaming down as the game kicked off, Pagnell appeared to settle the quicker, understandable nerves were playing their part in such a magnificent stadium, Littlehampton finding their best form was coming down the right flank with Lucas Pattenden having the measure of his full back but maintaining possession wasn’t showing to be easy for the Sussex outfit.
Pagnell began to look like the side who were more likely to take the lead and 21 minutes in they did. A corner was headed out by the Golds defence and fell nicely for Kieran Barnes whose sweetly hit shot gave James Binfield no chance in the Littlehampton goal.
It was going to be interesting to see how the Golds reacted as they didn’t go behind very often in games all season, it certainly shook them a bit but wasn’t against the run of play.
Drama came seven minutes before the break as Gaskin collided with a Mo Ahmed, completely accidental but the striker took the full brunt of the impact and needed medical attention for a while on the turf, eventually lifted from the pitch conscious and talking.
Those kind of stoppages and injuries can sometimes throw a team off their stride and not to use it as an excuse but with their performance not quite on point it felt like this added to it, although Golds only went in a goal behind and very much all to play for.
A fantastic reaction save from Binfield kept Pagnell from doubling their lead on 50 minutes as Littlehampton once again struggled to get going early in the second half.
The bad news for Littlehampton was the crucial next goal went to their opponents, nine minutes into the half Ben Shepherd took advantage of some pinball in the Golds penalty area and finished past Binfield to send the green half of Wembley wild once more.
Mitch Hand sent on Dave Herbert and Zack Harris in an effort to bring his side back into the game, pace from one and guile from the other the hopes to get Littlehampton a foothold.
Golds had a glorious chance to halve the deficit five minutes later and the next two minutes tell you the fine margins the game sometimes rests upon. Having worked themselves into a fantastic shooting position, Benn’s shot cannoned back off the post, the ball then ending up in the Golds penalty area, Lewis Jenkins giving away a penalty and Shepherd scoring his second and Pagnell’s third from the spot, seemingly putting the game beyond Littlehampton.
Jordan Clark cleared off the line 15 minutes from time as the Golds had to push forward to try and salvage something from the game leaving gaps all over the pitch but despite Harris and Aaron Capon trying to fashion some half chances nothing came off leaving Pagnell as worthy winners.
Whether the occasion got to some of the players it’s hard to tell. Having seen the Golds often this year a few were not at the levels they’ve held all season, the injury to George wouldn’t have helped either but you have to give credit to Pagnell who were bang on it and didn’t give Littlehampton an inch all afternoon.
It’s hard to be critical because this season has been phenomenal to follow, I’m not a Golds fan nor supporter but I watch what all the local teams do and others further afield, but if you have offered any club in the land 3 finals, a title and a promotion at the beginning of the season they’d all be trading places with Littlehampton, they’ve written their own history all year long and it’s still not over!
One more final to go on Wednesday evening against Saltdean Utd at Culver Road in the Sussex FA RUR Cup, the chance of a treble is still there and while it was disappointment on Sunday this season has been anything but.
