HIGHWORTH TOWN’S chances of realising their Wembley dream took a blow over the weekend, writes Callum Chaplin.

The side were unlucky to suffer a 1-0 home defeat to North Shields on Saturday in the first leg of their FA Vase semi final, falling victim to a fortunate deflected goal.

Highworth's TJ Bohane was disappointed with his side’s performance in the first half, but positive about how they responded for the final 45 in front of a crowd of 1,240.

“We created three or four clear-cut chances from which we should have scored,” said the striker. "We had flow after flow of attacks and I just thought sooner or later one would go in. Then they broke up the other end and it was disappointing to concede such a poor goal.

“We’ve won every away game in the Vase, so hopefully we can go there, get a goal and get the win.

Worthians’ manager John Fisher was realistic about his side’s performance saying: “In the first half we were not at the races and the lads were down.

“Now they’ll be thinking ‘yes, we have got a chance’ because that second half will have lifted them.

“We could get something at North Shields. It’s going to be difficult, but we don’t do anything easy.”

Highworth Town’s chairman Rohan Haines was equally chipper about the club’s chances of reaching Wembley.

He said: “We are still in the tie. Obviously, it would have been nice if it had been a more positive result but we always said if the result was 1-0 then we are in with a chance.

“We’ve been to Windsor, we’ve been to Tunbridge Wells, we’ve been to Tadcaster and we’ve got a result so we are still in with a shout.’’ The defeat will leave them with work to do in the second leg on Saturday but Fisher insists it will be a day to celebrate whatever the result.

“The good thing is that we’re staying up there for two nights,” he said.

“We will stay the second night and have a drink afterwards and hopefully it’s to celebrate but if it’s not, we’ll have a drink to say how well we’ve done and that the journey’s been great. But hopefully we’re saying ‘we’re at Wembley'."