Win-chester City

The FA Vase Final, in partnership with Carlsberg
St. Andrews, Birmingham
16 May 2004
Att: 5,080

A fine attacking display from Shaun Dyke, capped by a well-taken penalty, helped Winchester City lift The FA Vase and send AFC Sudbury home with the runners-up medals for the second year running. 

Full-back Dyke limped off with six minutes left, but by that time the damage was done and Winchester were two up.  

The Wessex League side were in control for most of the game, but the result was secured with 15 minutes left when the City number two sent Dean Greygoose the wrong way from the spot.

It was a fortunate penalty from Winchester's point of view, but when Forbes collected a deflected shot inside the box and was hauled down by last defender Neil Calver, only introduced 17 minutes earlier, referee Phillip Crossley had no option but to award the penalty and send the builder for an early Birmingham bath.

Luck was certainly not in yellow today, and though Winchester were deserved winners, AFC Sudbury provided valiant opponents who just couldn't force a goal.

Winchester were almost in front inside the first minute, Ian Mancey had a good chance striking the post after picking up Matthew Bicknell's tame left-foot shot inside Sudbury's six yard box.

Dyke then began to stamp his authority on the game. Moments after being clattered into by Paul Betson, he saw his sweet low drive from 18 yards out held by Greygoose.

From then he continued to cause Sudbury all sorts of problems with his penetrating runs down the right flank.

On more than one occasion a Dyke cross gave the city front-line a lot to work with, but while Gary Green's header drifted wide, Mancey's volley into the ground was easy for Greygoose. 

Then Andrew Forbes' 17th minute goal put the Wessex League side in front.

A quick break caught Sudbury short at the back and a neat interchange between Forbes and Ian Mancey allowed the 24 year-old space to strike a left-foot effort across Dean Greygoose and into the corner of the net. 

Mancey himself did actually have the ball in the net on the half-hour mark too. The tall toolmaker met another Dyke centre, but it was his hand and not his head that sent it over the line, and Mr. Crossley cautioned him for his efforts.

At the other end, Sudbury were trying, but during the first half found no real joy with a red and black wall thwarting their every advance. 

A strong run from Andrew Claydon's did open the defence up, but when the ball was asking to be hit, he could only trickle it into the hands of Simon Arthur.

The Winchester City 'keeper was called into action on another occasion, Lee Owen's drive marking Sudbury's best moment of the opening 45. When Gary Bennett laid the ball off for the van driver he almost delivered into the top corner, but Arthur's hand was in the way, tipping it over the bar.

After the turnaround, it was again Owen who saw the goal gaping.  A more positive looking Sudbury emerged from the dressing room and Claydon's cutback from the bye-line rolled nicely for Owen, but this time his strike was blocked on the penalty spot.

Sudbury kept looking for that equaliser but were also keen to keep the score against at just one.  It was obvious too that the Suffolk side had not heeded the Dyke warnings in the first half and when he put another delightful swinging ball into the far post, Forbes' diving header looked destined for glory, but Greygoose saved well.

Green came close again with a dipping shot from range, but it was just too high for the goal then his next effort took a wicked deflection off the feet of Bennett inside the area causing Calver to pull down Forbes for the penalty.

Time was against Sudbury now, and with 15 minutes left they needed two goals to force extra time.  Gary Harvey threw on Dean Francis, an attacking influence on the left, and along with fellow sub Sam Banya, gave the Eastern Counties League champions more of a threat.

Despite being a man up, Winchester were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure and make sure that elusive goal wouldn't come for Sudbury. When Bennett's last-minute shot hit the same post as Mancey's in the opening 60 seconds, it was all over.  

In only their second season in the competition, Winchester City lift The FA Vase and can add it to their League title already claimed this year. 

Team Details

AFC Sudbury: Dean Greygoose, David Head, Shane Wardley, Brett Girling, Chris Tracey (c), Lee Norfolk, Lee Owen (Banya, 61), Simon Hyde (Calver, 57), Gary Bennett, Andrew Claydon, Paul Betson (Francis, 75)
Subs not used: Terry Rayner, Ben Nower

Winchester City: Simon Arthur, Shaun Dyke (Tate, 84), Matthew Bicknell, Toby Redwood, David Goss, Mark Blake, Lloyd Webber, Gary Green, Ian Mancey, Andrew Forbes (Rogers, 70), Danny Smith (c) (Liam Green, 90)
Subs not used: Stewart Lang, Oliver Rastall