JUST ONE THING WAS MISSING... THE FANS!

GROWING UP, the regional commercial radio station would churn out an advert for the local ice hockey team that had a catchy sign-off.

“We’ll sell you the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge!”

When the final whistle was blown on this breathless FA Vase final, there was only one thing the 90 minutes had been missing. Fans. How this game deserved to be played in front of supporters rather than swathes of empty red seats at the home of English football.

Positive attacking play, momentum that swung back and forth, Ali Alshabeeb’s excellent finish to open the scoring for Consett, Amar Purewal’s instant equaliser.

Dale Pearson’s crisp finish, Michael Richardson’s quick response for Hebburn that, at just two minutes later, was slower than their first reply.

Missed sitters, good saves, full-blooded tackles, and an attitude from both sides to not let the day pass by but to go and win the thing.

Olly Martin’s finish did just that for Hebburn in a game that could have gone either way. The winner was laid on by the excellent Richardson, who was just one of many on the pitch showing that this may be Step 5 football, but there is a lot of technical quality too.

More than anything, after the last year or so, this game was fun. A complete antidote to what we’ve seen throughout football over the last 12plus months, when even the most ardent of followers has found themselves questioning quite what it is all about.

There were storylines aplenty. Veteran striker Graeme Armstrong’s first appearance at Wembley. The Purewal twins facing each other as the first South Asian brothers to play under the arch. And Hebburn’s quest for a unique Vase double.

For 90 minutes, this was about enjoying the beautiful game as it was intended. FA Vase finals so often deliver in the entertainment stakes in ways other big games just don’t.

How many drab FA Cup finals have you sat through just pleading for some sort of breakthrough to liven the occasion up? But from the moment this game kicked off it was absorbing. Neither side were fazed by their surroundings as they enjoyed making the most of Wembley’s vast open spaces.

Perhaps it helped these two sides are familiar with each other from their spars in the Northern League.

The willingness to play with the shackles off made for a great spectacle.

There is also the chance to write yourself in northeast folklore with so many wins in the area in recent years.

From Paul Chow’s 21-second opener for Whitley Bay in 2010 to G a v Cogdon’s handstand for Spennymoor and G a reth Bainbridge’s North Shields strike that brought out all the emotions in memory of his father.

The Hebburn and Consett committee members who were in the stadium certainly made themselves heard throughout, cheering every kick as the game went on.

As, no doubt, were their fans in front of TV sets at home. Even for the neutral though this was a thrilling ride.

A reminder of what Non-League football is really about and how entertaining it can be. When the doors reopen in the coming weeks, let’s hope the terraces are full again.

And clubs can sell the edge of those seats.