North Shields came from a goal down at Wembley to beat Glossop North End and win The FA Vase.
A late leveller from Gareth Bainbridge took the game to extra-time before substitute Adam Forster popped up to snatch victory.
Glossop North End 1-2 North Shields
after extra-time
The FA Vase Final 2015
Saturday 9 May
Wembley Stadium connected by EE
And it meant that, again, it was not to be for two-time Finalists Glossop, who went in front through Tom Bailey’s strike early in the second half.
Instead, the Robins ensured that the Vase – an almost permanent resident in the north-east in recent years - returned home with them.
For Glossop, the Derbyshire outfit who had already clinched the North West Counties League Premier Division title, the League Cup and promotion, Wembley was not a new experience, but both times have ended in defeat.
Glossop North End 1-2 North Shields (AET)
They were in the Vase Final as recently as 2009 when they lost 2-0 to Whitley Bay, Northern League rivals of their opponents this time.
North Shields, too, brought with them Wembley pedigree having lifted The FA Amateur Cup – the Vase’s predecessor – way back in 1969. Their boss Graham Fenton had also won the League Cup as a midfielder with Aston Villa in 1994.
While none of the players from North Shields previous visit were playing this time, Glossop had five members of the 2009 squad on their teamsheet.
Glossop's Sam Hare and North Shields' Denver Morris
And it was one of those, Bailey, who sparked the game to life slotting home the opener ten minutes into the second half.
The first half had been a fairly cagey affair with few goalscoring opportunities for either side.
Glossop’s Kieran Ludgsen saw a header easily dealt with by Chris Bannon, and then later, cutting in from the right, a low drive stopped by the keeper’s feet.
North Shields skipper Kevin Hughes had a header cleared off the line. And, in a flurry of attacking promise towards the end of the first period, their top scorer Gareth Bainbridge had a 20-yard strike pushed away by Hall at full stretch.
The Northern League side put Hall to work shortly after the break, too. Ben Richardson hit the bar with a dipping, 30-yard strike, before Michael McKeown dug out a effort with his left inside the box, which Hall needed to palm over to safety.
Tom Bailey celebrates the opener for Glossop
But, with 55 minutes played, the deadlock was finally broken – and it went to the Hillmen.
A corner from the right dropped kindly for Glossop and the ball found Kieran Lugsden, who drilled across the face of goal. Bailey, a substitute in the 2009 Final, slid into finish from close-range before celebrating right in front of the Derbyshire faithful.
Lugsden himself almost added a second soon after, launching himself at a cross from the right but he was well-marshalled by the North Shields rearguard.
Gareth Bainbridge equalises for North Shields
However, Bainbridge – the man who had netted 16 goals for North Shields on the road to Wembley – was not going to let the Final pass by without having his say.
As Fenton’s men went in search for an equaliser, an inswinging corner from the right with ten minutes left was inviting for Bainbridge. His run lost his Glossop shadow before he met the ball at the near-post and glanced home to level.
It was enough to take the game into extra time, where substitute Forster clinched it.
The impressive man-of-the-match Morris was the creator, bursting down the right to beat Matthew Russell and crossing low into the danger zone.
Adam Forster netted the winner for the Robins
A cluster of blue and red shirts could not make a connection and the ball found Forster unmarked to steer inside the post.
Matters were made tougher for Glossop at the midway point of extra-time when skipper Dave Young went down with a head injury following an aerial challenge. On medical advice his afternoon was over, and with no more subs allowed, Chris Willcock’s men were down to ten.
And despite throwing everything forward at the end, it was all in vain as North Shields were crown FA Vase winners for 2015.
Glossop North End (4-1-4-1): 1 Greg Hall; 2 Michael Bowler, 3 Matthew Russell, 4 Kelvin Lugsden, 5 Dave Young (c); 6 Martin Parker; 7 Lee Blackshaw, 18 Samuel Hare, 9 Tom Bailey, 11 Eddie Moran; 10 Kieran Lugsden
Substitutes: 12 Daniel White on for Moran, 61; 16 Samuel Grimshaw on for Blackshaw, 69; 15 Samuel Hind on for Hare, 82.
Subs not used: 14 Benjamin Richardson, 17 Richard Gresty
Manager: Chris Willcock
Goals: Tom Bailey, 55
Bookings: Sam Hare, 50
North Shields (4-2-3-1): 19 Christopher Bannon; 22 Stuart Donnison, 3 John Grey, 5 John Parker, 6 Kevin Hughes (c); 4 Michael McKeown, 10 Ben Richardson; 7 Denver Morris, 11 Dean Holmes, 17 James Luccock; 9 Gareth Bainbridge
Substitutes: 20 Ryan Carr on for Luccock, 59; 14 Adam Forster on for Holmes, 69; 8 Kieran Wrightson on for Bainbridge 106.
Subs not used: 2 Curtis Coppen, 12 Marc Lancaster
Manager: Graham Fenton
Goals: Gareth Bainbridge, 80; Adam Forster, 96
Bookings: Ben Richardson, 90+5
Referee: Andrew Madley (West Riding FA)
Assistants: Daniel Cook (Hampshire FA) and Wade Norcott (Essex FA)
Fourth Official: Chris Kavanagh (Manchester FA)
Attendance: 9,674
