In the heat of the midday sun Whitstable Town and AFC Whyteleafe gave everything as they sought the glory of winning the F.A. Vase at Wembley.

If ever there was an example of how fine margins can shape the outcome of a football match, there was one in this match when Whyteleafe struck the bar at one-all in second half stoppage time. Whitstable took full advantage of their escape by going on to win in energy sapping extra time, courtesy of Ronald Sithole’s goal. 

Nathan Jeche had the first effort of the game for the Oystermen with an effort from just inside the penalty area that went wide however, after their good start, they went behind in the seventeenth minute. Craig Braham-Barrett played it through to Gaspar Mico and he laid it off for Daniel Bennett to clip it home from close range.

It could have been worse for Whitstable when Aaron Watson got in behind their defence and drew a great save out of Daniel Colmer from his close range shot.

Jamie Coyle’s team again came into the game and Harvey Smith was just unable to get on the end of a Jeche cross after he had dispossessed a dithering defender. Finn O’Mara had the last chance of the first half when heading over Richard Thompson’s corner. 

Having been forced into a change just before the break, when Robbie Rees replaced Connor Wilkins, Whitstable didn’t make any further substitutions for the start of the second period and they continued to press the Leafe defenders.

They were rewarded seven minutes in when they levelled. Jeche played it in to Smith and there didn’t seem to be a threat when he shot, but this season’s leading scorer in the Vase wrong-footed goalkeeper George Hill and it found its way into the bottom of the net.

Watson had a glorious opportunity to put the Leafe back ahead but Colmer stood up to block his shot, and when it was recycled, Colmer was again in the right place to beat out Ryan Gondoh’s effort.

Sithole dragged a shot wide for the Oystermen, before player-manager Coyle volleyed well over. Bennett tried his luck at the other end but his attempt to bend one had no swerve and missed by some way.

While Gondoh appealed for a penalty in vain, Smith broke away and beat two defenders before playing it in to Rees. His tenacity and skill gave him the chance to shoot but Hill was out quickly to make the point blank range save.

O’Mara looped a header onto the roof of the net, Smith headed into the side netting, and a Sithole shot failed to have the power to bother Hill. However, it was the Surrey side who almost won it in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Rodney Eruotor’s drive flew back out off the crossbar. He followed up and Colmer was able to stick out a leg to divert it away.

Hill was in action again early in extra time when making two saves in quick succession. Zak Ansah, who had come on just before the end of stoppage time for his second cameo cup final appearance in two days, shot wide for Whyteleafe before the team from the Kent coast missed a glorious opening. Albie O’Mara-Knapp crossed to Sithole and he hit the post from three yards out. It came out to Smith who put it back into the middle but Sithole was offside when he turned it in.

That did not put the Whitstable striker off from getting involved, though, as moments later he notched the important breakthrough. He broke through down the left and was thwarted by another brave Hill block. It came back out to him and he showed his composure by pulling it back out to give him the space to fire into the roof of the net.

Colmer saved from Ansah but after that, the team from Kent controlled most of the possession and Hill did well to push away a desperate defensive poke, denying O’Mara-Knapp. Substitute Joe Healy might have added a third in the dying minutes when breaking through and clipping it over Hill but wide of the far post.

Almost immediately after Eruotor fired over the referee blew his final whistle and Whitstable were able to start their joyous celebrations.

Whyteleafe: Hill, Leeward (Teodorescu 90+10), Braham-Barrett, Orome (De Melo 78), Goode, Holder, Bennett (Ansah 90+10), Gondoh, Watson (Eruotor 85), Mico (Mascoll 72), Johnson-Palmer.

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: Bennett (17)

Yellow cards: Orome (55 foul), De Melo (113 foul)

Whitstable Town: Colmer, Thompson, McIntyre (Aboagye 70), Dalton (Healy 105), Coyle, O’Mara, Jeche (O’Mara-Knapp 85), Cotton, Sithole, Wilkins (Rees 45+2), Smith (Thomas 116).

Subs not used: None.

Goal scorers: Smith (52), Sithole (100)

Yellow cards: Dalton (48 foul), O’Mara-Knapp (103 foul)

Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo

Assistant Referees: Emily Carney and David Harrison

Fourth Official: Zac Kennard-Kettle

Man of the match: Harvey Smith (Whitstable Town) 

Attendance: 38,600