North Ferriby win FA Trophy after penalty shootout drama

North Ferriby United lifted The FA Trophy for the first time after keeper Adam Nicklin became their penalty shootout hero. 

Nicklin saved the vital kick from Wrexham's Steve Tomassen as the Villagers, one league below the Welshman in the football pyramid, won 5-4 on penalties after an enthralling game finished 3-3 after extra time.

Super sub Ryan Kendall scored twice as the Conference North part-timers hauled back a two-goal deficit to go in front before Louis Moult struck with a 15 yard thunderbolt with time fast running out to take the match to spot-kicks.

Wrexham needed extra-time and penalties to see off Grimsby Town at Wembley in 2013 but this time it wasn't their day.

Instead, Nicklin - who pulled off two shootout stops against Bath City to propel North Ferriby into the Final - was the hero again.

This result ruined the Dragons' hopes of celebrating their 150th anniversary in true style.

Conference Premier Wrexham may be just one league higher than their brave opponents, but the Welshmen were overwhelming favourites against a side with an average home crowd of 250 

Jason St Juste chases down Wrexham's Joe Clarke

North Ferriby has just one pub, an Italian restaurant, a chip shop and the village hall in which to celebrate their considerable achievements along the road to Wembley, but nonetheless there is likely to be quite the party in the small Yorkshire village tonight.

The grand finale was set up by a stirring fightback that saw skipper Liam King ram home a 76th minute penalty and Kendall turn in Jason St Juste's 86th-minute centre to cancel out Wrexham goals from Moult and Jay Harris.

King converted after Dragons keeper Andy Coughlin upended Joe Clarke and Kendall added to the high drama by popping up just when the Villagers needed him.

He was on target with a glancing header from another St Juste cross 11 minutes into extra-time only for Moult to drive home from 15 yards with two minutes to go.

Moult put the Welshmen ahead after with just over 10 minutes played and Harris ended a stinging six-man move by seizing on Connor Jennings' final ball to breeze in from the right and fire home.

North Ferriby finished the second half of normal time in control with Danny Clarke stinging Coughlin's fingers after going close late on.

Ryan Kendall puts North Ferriby 3-2 up

That came after Wrexham had tried to shut the game off with Jennings pulling most of the strings. Kevin Wilkin's team were the more refined unit but didn't deliver often enough in the final third and some robust defending kept them out. 

To their credit, North Ferriby didn't run out of steam as Wrexham might have hoped - but no one could really have predicted the outcome based on the early exchanges.

Moult's opening goal saw the journeyman striker coax the ball past Nicklin from close-range after being set up by the impressive Jennings and Joe Clarke.

It was no surprise that the Dragons bossed the first half - and a slight surprise that North Ferriby didn't use the long ball to 6ft 5in striker Tom Denton in their bid to put a stamp on the match.

Wrexham served an intial sixth-minute warming with a Kieron Morris half-volley that flew just wide after good work by Clarke and Neil Ashton.

Ryan Kendall celebrates

After Moult struck, Jennings had a 24th minute drive deflected for a corner, the East Riding side getting lucky when Nicklin mis-hooked a wild clearance way out of his area. The ball finally fell to Jennings, but, by this time the grateful keeper had made up his ground and saved comfortably.

The Villagers' first meaningful advance saw a 29th-minute rebound off Danny Hone fly into a grateful Coughlin's arm.

But more pressure was to come and three minutes later Danny Clarke broke and got away a decent shot under severe pressure.

Keen overlapping full-back Josh Wilde was a potent threat to the Wrexham defence who survived a 45th-minute burst from him and Adam Bolder.

Despite that the Dragons always looked the more likely side to score next with Jennings pulling the strings and defender Neil Ashton nodding a 37th-minute corner a shade high and wide.

But in the end Nicklin was the man to win it, with three saves from the spot.

North Ferriby United: 1 Adam Nicklin, 2 Sam Topliss, 3 Josh Wilde, 4 Liam King, 5  Matt Wilson, 6 Danny Hone, 7 Danny Clarke, 8 Russell Fry, 9 Tom Denton, 10 Adam Bolder, 11 Jason St Juste.

Substitutions: 12 Nathan Jarman (for Bolder, 61),; 16 Ryan Kendall for Fry, 80); 14 Nathan Peat for Wilde, 89)

Subs not used: 13 Tom Nicholson, 15 Mark Gray.

Goals: King (76 pen); Kendall 2 (86, 111)

Wrexham: 1 Andy Coughlin, 2 Neil Ashton, 4 Manny Smith, 5 Blaine Hudson, 6 Joe Clarke, 8 Jay Harris, 9 Louis Moult, 12 Dean Keates, 14 SteveTomassen, 24 Connor Jennings, 27 Kieron Morris.

Substitutions: 15 Robbie Evans for Keats, 72; 16 Wes York for Morris, 87; 10 Andy Bishop for Clarke, 112.

Subs not used: 2 Mark Carrington,  26 Luke Waterfall.

Goals: Moult 2, (11, 118); Harris 59

Referee: Michael Oliver

Attendance: 15,585