Didcot Tn 1, Jarrow Roofing 0: If Didcot Town were due a poor performance in this season's FA Vase, then hopefully this was the one.

The Railwaymen were certainly below par in front of a record crowd of 1,512 at the Loop Meadow Stadium on Saturday.

But they still emerged from the first leg of the semi-final with a slender lead to take north to Tyneside next weekend.

Too many big-game players simply weren't at the races for Didcot, but it is to their credit that they still managed to get something positive from the game, courtesy of a second-half strike from captain Jamie Heapy, who was celebrating his 26th birthday.

Jarrow's back four kept Didcot's goalscoring machine Ian Concannon very quiet, while youngster Stuart Beavon worked hard, but had little to show for all his youthful exuberance.

Didcot certainly couldn't be accused of freezing on the biggest occasion in the club's history, and with the ground packed to the rafters, they set their stall out early on.

As early as the fourth minute, an in-swinging corner from the right caused mild panic in the Jarrow defence, with Paul Kelly just managing to scramble the ball clear as Andy Cooper looked to pounce.

Ex-Oxford United star, Paul Powell, who by his own standards, had a rare off day, floated in a dangerous cross moments later, but found Jarrow keeper Gary Hoggeth in good form, bravely pouncing on the ball under pressure.

There was no doubt that Town were dominating possession, as Jarrow looked to defend deep and in numbers.

But the visitors nearly caught Didcot with a sucker punch on the half-hour when diminutive winger Keith Hutchinson was presented with a chance to fire the visitors in front. His effort was fumbled by keeper Chris Webb, before Danny Campbell relieved the pressure with a scrambled clearance.

Jarrow probably couldn't believe their luck to be level at the break, and they came out with more purpose early in the second half.

Didcot were nearly caught napping within seconds of the restart when Andy Davies's header rebounded off the bar with Webb beaten.

It was down to birthday boy Heapy to put Didcot in front.

Andy Parrott's shot from 20 yards rebounded from Gerard Quinn straight into the path of Heapy, who took a moment to compose himself before drilling home a superb low drive into the bottom right corner.

Loop Meadow went wild, and Didcot began to relax and started to show their class.

Just seconds after coming on as a substitute, pacy winger Fletcher Hoey could have put them 2-0 ahead, but his drive from an acute angle ricocheted back off the foot of the right post.

Beavon saw an effort fly over the bar from Grant Goodall's lay-off, before an off-the-ball confrontation between Hoey and Davies led to the pair being cautioned.

There was still time in the five minutes of injury time for Town to create two superb chances.

Firstly, Parrott got his head to a Powell corner, but directed the ball just wide, then with literally the final kick of the game, Hoey missed a great chance when a scrambled clearance fell to him just a few yards out, but somehow, he prodded the ball wide.

Didcot Town: Webb, Goodall, Cooper, Campbell, Heapy, Parrott, Hannigan (Hoey 67), Barlow, Concannon (Bianchini 82), Beavon, Powell. Subs (not used): Allen, R Dorrian, Spurrett.

Jarrow Roofing: Hoggeth, A Reah (Jury 54), Rattle, Davies, Quinn, Kelly (Graham 87), Hodgson, Thompson, Nelson, Perry, Hutchinson (McGinley 82). Subs (not used): Rogers, C Reah.

Attendance: 1,512.

Referee: D Philips.