Football: Wizardry of Whitby

North Ferriby Utd 0 Whitby Town 3 Logan 26, Williams 61, Toman 75 Attendance: 11,098

ON SATURDAY, Messrs Zola, Juninho and colleagues will be treading Wembley's lush turf, but yesterday that honour went to some less well- rewarded but just as committed footballers from two little clubs from opposite ends of Yorkshire.

The FA Carlsberg Vase, the lesser of non-League football's two national tournaments, was the prize on offer, and victory went to Whitby Town from North Yorkshire, whose endeavour was too much for East Yorkshire's North Ferriby United. Dave Logan, Graeme Williams and Andy Toman were the goalscorers, and they enjoyed their moments of glory just as much as any international.

Whitby were the quicker to settle as the North Ferriby defenders endured some nervous early moments. In the second minute, Paul Pitman and Graham Robinson, the powerful South African Under-21 international centre-forward, found themselves marked by only one opponent, but Robinson's shot was blocked.

Whitby did not have it all their own way, though, despite being the bigger, stronger side. Most of North Ferriby's attacks were inspired by the wily Kenny Harrison, who sent a well-struck shot just over in the seventh minute.

There was more penalty-box action at the other end, however, and North Ferriby were lucky to survive a scramble in the 12th minute when Mitch Cook, the former Scarborough player-manager, had a goalbound shot charged down.

North Ferriby responded with Mark Tennison chipping just over the bar, but Whitby were winning more possession and took the lead in the 28th minute. After some sustained pressure, Robinson, out on the left, rolled the ball back for the advancing left-back Logan to hammer it high into the net.

The men in green had two chances to equalise before half-time, Darren France heading just too high and Harrison also clearing the bar with a left-foot drive.

After the interval, Andy Flounders, a Vase winner last year with Brigg Town, saw his header well saved by Dave Campbell, but Whitby were in no mood to allow their Yorkshire rivals back into the game. A 61st-minute Whitby attack broke down, but Toman and Cook cleverly worked the ball into the path of Williams, who thumped it past an exposed Paul Sharp.

There was no way back for North Ferriby, and Whitby added a third 15 minutes from the end. Sharp punched out Pitman's cross only as far as Toman and he found the net with a spectacular acrobatic volley from a narrow angle.