Bedlington Terriers 5,

Thame United 0

By RUSSELL SMITH

THAME United's Wembley dreams lie in tatters.

Their hopes of playing between the Twin Towers in mid-May were buried among an avalanche of goals as impressive Bedlington ran away with the FA Carlsberg Vase semi-final first leg at Welfare Park on Saturday.

And but for a series of superb saves by Thame goalkeeper Ian Moores it could have been double figures.

Playing down the slope, and with a stiff wind behind them in the first half, Thame had held the runaway Arnott Northern League leaders until the 34th minute when they had left back Adie Roberts sent off for taking a tug at Glen Renforth's shirt as he raced through into the area.

Although the Bedlington winger stayed on his feet and still got a shot in which Moores blocked, York referee Matt Massias blew up, gave a penalty and showed Roberts the red card.

It seemed somewhat harsh, but the official was applying the law to the letter, and Thame were down to ten men. However, there was a let-off for Thame when Bedlington's prolific marksman John Milner's spot-kick clipped the outside of the left-hand post.

But Milner, who has hit a remarkable 51 goals so far this season, quickly made amends for his penalty miss with a 22-minute hat-trick.

He struck for the first time in the 42nd minute when he darted in at the near post to turn Dean Gibb's low left-wing cross home with a deadly finish with the outside of his right-foot.

And he increased Bedlington's lead in the 50th minute when he stuck out a boot to deflect Mickey Cross's shot past the wrong-footed Moores.

Thame's keeper then made a brilliant double save from Milner. But from the resulting corner in the 64th minute, the Bedlington goal machine completed his hat-trick when he headed home Gibb's flick-on from two yards out.

Moores denied Milner yet again in the 74th minute, but the ball broke to substitute Richie Bond and he cut inside before firing high into the roof of the net.

And Bond completed an afternoon of torture for Thame a minute from time when he sliced through the visitors' defence. Moores blocked his first effort, but the ball rebounded straight to the Bedlington sub and he gleefully buried it at the second attempt. It sparked secenes of Bedlington bedlam which were repeated at the final whistle, and leaves next Saturday's return at Windmill Stadium a virtual non-event.

Thame Utd: Moores, Gascoyne, Roberts, Brown, Tregurtha, Paul, Joe, A Williams (Gregory 61), Holmes (Louis 58), Herbert (Maciak 65), Walker. Subs not used:

Referee: M Massias (York).

Attendance: 860.

Story date: Monday 15 March

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