A first-half double from Robert Dale had given the Northern Premier League Premier Division side a 2-0 lead at the break, but a rampant opening spell from the Blues after the restart saw the Championship side bounce back to win 3-2.
Blyth Spartans 2-3 Birmingham
FA Cup Third Round
Croft Park
Saturday 3 January 2015
Winners receive £67,500
“I never thought I’d be disappointed at the end of a game against a Championship side in The FA Cup. So I’m proud and disappointed,” Wade told TheFA.com.
“I’m so proud of the lads. They are honest, they work hard and have been training every night. I just feel sorry for them as they deserved to get something out of that today.”
With an upset looking likely at the break, Wade could only watch as their opponents stepped up a gear at the beginning of the second half.
Lee Novak and two Wesley Thomas goals fired Birmingham into the lead and end the brave Spartans’ Cup dreams.
Wade concluded: “We did exceptionally well at the end of the first-half, we battled really hard and started to boss the game.
“We knew they we would have a 10-15 minute spell, and they were awesome and killed us off.”
He added: “They were just stronger than us in that spell. Not fitness-wise, but we lost a bit in the midfield.
“We switched off and it cost us.”
