Town always have to do things the hard way! Following a drawn game against Falmouth Town and a 700-mile round trip to win after a replay in the previous round, it was a similar tale in the Semi-Final against Emley.

The first-leg of the Semi-Final was at Hoghton Road on 21st March. The first day of Spring produced a wonderful, sunny Sutton afternoon and the majority of the crowd of 2028 assembled in anticipation of a home win. Unfortunately, the Town players appeared to let the occasion get the better of them and it was Emley who seized the initiative: The Yorkshire-side’s left back, Willie Carpenter made a break and sent over a cross which eluded Barry Lowe and the unfortunate Paul Wilson could only help the ball into his own net. 0-1 was the score at 90 minutes, the only occasion in 12 games in the Vase that Town failed to score.

The team was: Andy Johnston Paul Benson, Paul Wilson, Barry Lowe, John Bendon; Marty Cummins, Tommy O’Neil, Jimmy Collins, Brian Rigby, Jay McComb and Phil Layhe. Subs: Mark Gledhill and John Deakin. Res: Bryan Griffiths.

The second leg took place seven days later at the Welfare Ground in Emley, a village between Huddersfield and Wakefield. Following a week of deteriorating weather, the pitch was in a dreadful state, but the game passed an early morning inspection, thanks mainly to a strong, drying wind. John Bendon missed the game through injury and a re-shuffling by manager Alan Wellens moved Paul Benson from left to centre back, with Tommy O’Neil reverting to the position he had held many years before in his Manchester United days. Mark Gledhill came into midfield.

There was a crowd of well over 3000 packed into the tight ground but despite the home side having the majority of the support, it was Town who took the initiative after the initial Emley onslaught. However, there was no score at the break. The second half began with Town still looking to level the tie and they did not have to wait long for Gledhill to score from 12 yards. Town exerted further pressure and Phil Layhe had a shot cleared in the list minute, but from the resulting corner, Paul Benson headed past the home keeper, only for the ball to be handled on the line by full-back Carpenter. Into injury time, Jimmy Collins took the resulting penalty, but the home ‘keeper easily gathered the mis-hit shot and the referee blew the final whistle.

Extra-time again and all to play for. 8 minutes into the first period, Brian Rigby headed home Jimmy Collins’ cross and put Town ahead in the tie. All hands to the pumps, as St. Helens weathered the storm until the final 3 minutes when the referee awarded a home penalty following a foul from Paul Wilson which he clearly thought was outside the area. Nevertheless the award stood and up ran Steve Codd, who dispatched the ball with great force for the top corner. The crowd gasped but Andy Johnston jumped like a salmon to deflect the ball past the post and deny the home side the spoils of war. It was a majestic conclusion to an epic battle.

Team: Johnston, O’Neil, Wilson, Lowe, Benson; Cummins, Gledhill, J. Collins, Rigby, McComb and Layhe. Subs: Deakin and Tony Williams. Scorers: Gledhill and Rigby.

Town had done it, against all the odds! Ironically, following their exploits against opposition from up and down the country, it was near neighbours Warrington Town who would provide the opposition at Wembley for what must, to the uninitiated, have looked more like a Rugby League Challenge Cup Final.

Glyn Jones