The tenth game of their epic FA Vase campaign took Whitstable to Gloucestershire for the second leg of the semi-final against Hellenic Premier League champions elect Hartpury University, the Acorns. An impressive display in the first leg had given them a two goal lead, so they knew what was required and delivered a professional performance to shut out the hosts and book a place in the Wembley final. In a game of few chances on a difficult pitch, Whitstable rarely looked like conceding, although Dan Colmer had to make a couple of smart saves. Harvey Smith had probably the game's best chance, shooting wide in the dying minutes, but it made no difference to the outcome and Whitstable can look forward to a historic date at the national stadium.

Still challenging on three fronts and with a heavy schedule of fixtures remaining, Whitstable had the luxury of a week between the two legs of the FA Vase semi-final without a midweek game. A dominant performance in the home leg had given them a real chance of making the final, but there was still a potentially difficult 90 minutes to negotiate. The pitch that Hartpury University FC share with their Championship rugby team was used for an oval ball game against Chinnor on Saturday, so this game was moved to the Sunday. The playing surface was predictably a bit uneven and presumably influenced the way that the game was played. Whitstable named an unchanged team, although Jake McIntyre and Jerald Aboagye were able to return after being suspended for the first leg and both were among the substitutes. Renato Prifti and Jacob Towns replaced Ben Baxter and Kian King in the Hartpury team. The crowd, which included a large, vocal following for the Oystermen, was recorded as 905, exactly 2,000 less than watched the first leg at Whitstable.

Whitstable started well with Nathan Jeche winning the ball to get his team on the front foot and a throw led to some early pressure with Hartpury defenders sliding in to block a couple of shots before the ball was deflected behind for the game's first corner that was misjudged by goalkeeper Stephen Sarkodie, but the ball was cleared. Sarkodie, who kept his team in the tie with some good saves in the first leg, regularly brought the ball forward looking to create some openings, hit a few misplaced passes and one was seized upon by Ronald Sithole who strode into the box before the ball was put out for another corner. The first threat from Hartpury was a deep cross from the right corner by Sol Kent that reached Louis Manning at the far post but his header down was dealt with by Ricardo Thompson. Another Fin Cotton corner was headed wide by Jamie Coyle as Whitstable continued to seek a goal that would surely have put the tie out of reach for the home team. In the 18th minute, a Sithole throw in was cleared back to him on the right and he cut inside but dragged his shot wide of the near post.

A huge kick by Whitstable goalkeeper Dan Colmer nearly bounced over Sarkodie who managed to get back to collect safely. In the 29th minute, Manning won a free kick in a central position about 22 yards out, but Luke Salter's effort went into the wall and the follow up shot by Kent hit another Hartpury player who was offside, so the danger passed. Jeche rolled the ball to Sithole whose shot from the edge of the box was deflected wide. After some good defensive work by Cotton, he was involved at the other end when he received the ball from Jeche and tried a low shot that was comfortably saved. Sithole crossed for Jeche who couldn't make the right connection and the ball flew wide. Hartpury's best opportunity of the half came in the 41st minute when Sarkodie brought the ball forward into the centre circle before passing to Nathan Jenkins who in turn found Prifti on the right of the area and Colmer did well to tip his shot over the bar. Each team had a corner to defend before the referee blew for half time and the large number of Whitstable supporters would have been reasonably happy that their team had conceded very few chances and were just 45 minutes from a Wembley final.

Hartpury had tried to play patiently on a tricky surface, although apart from the one attempt on target, Colmer had not been troubled, so they knew they needed more to get back into the tie. Whitstable still had their two goal lead when play restarted and appeared determined not to take any unnecessary risks. Hartpury had the first chance of the second half when they won a free kick on the right and Prifti got his head to Salter's delivery at the back post, but it was a simple save for Colmer. Jeche battled to win Whitstable a corner that was headed wide by Smith. Hartpury nearly gifted Whitstable a goal in the 56th minute when Sarkodie allowed a Josh Roney back pass to run past him, but just managed to scramble back to clear off the line. Sithole made an acrobatic attempt to convert Smith's cross, but his shot struck a defender. Hartpury made their first change in the 66th minute with Prifti being replaced by Morgan Ewing. Both legs were played without any cards being shown, but with the Whitstable defence dealing effectively with any threats, Hartpury's frustration seemed to grow and Billy Osborn was perhaps lucky to escape punishment for unnecessarily jumping into Coyle.

A quick Hartpury break gave Ewing the opportunity to run at the Whitstable defence, but his shot was quickly closed down. Substitute Cheick Kone tried a shot following a throw in, but once again Whitstable were quick to block. At the other end, the ball went across the box a couple of times without falling kindly for Jeche, but the clock was approaching the last ten minutes and more substitutes were introduced by both teams. Whitstable should have killed the tie in the 87th minute when two substitutes combined to create the game's best chance. Robbie Rees sent Albie O'Mara-Knapp away on the left and his low cross reached Smith near the penalty spot, but his shot went just wide of an inviting net to a collective groan from the visiting fans packed behind the goal. Into added time and a bit of home pressure saw the ball laid back for Salter whose 20 yard shot was pushed away by Colmer. The resulting corner reached Owen Giles on the edge of the box and he fired a shot over the bar. As the Whitstable fans behind the goal sang about Wembley with increasing volume, Salter lifted a long range shot high into the sky as referee Richard Eley called a halt and the real celebrations could begin.

It wasn't the prettiest game to watch on a tricky surface, but Whitstable had earned themselves an advantage in the home leg and in truth rarely looked like giving it away in this game, so deservedly went through to play AFC Whyteleafe in the final on May 11th.

After a brief return to league action at Punjab United, Whitstable face Larkfield & New Hythe in the Kent Senior Trophy final at the Gallagher Stadium, Maidstone on Sunday.

Hartpury University	Data	Whitstable
3	Shots on target	3
4	Shots off target	5
3	Shots blocked	5
5	Corners	6
9	Fouls conceded	11
2	Offside	2
0	Penalties	0

Hartpury University
Stephen Sarkodie, Sol Kent, Drew Robinson (Cheick Kone 72), Owen Giles, Josh Roney (c), Nathan Jenkins (George Sims 88), Renato Prifti (Morgan Ewing 66), Jacob Towns (O’Rian Reid 80), Billy Osborn, Luke Salter, Louis Manning.
Sub (unused): Kian Kang

Whitstable Town
Dan Colmer, Ricardo Thompson, Adedapo Olugbodi, Mikey Dalton, Jamie Coyle, Finn O’Mara (c), Ronald Sithole (Albie O’Mara-Knapp 85), Fin Cotton (Jake McIntyre 90+4), Nathan Jeche (Joe Healy 90+1), Connor Wilkins (Robbie Rees 83), Harvey Smith.
Sub (unused): Jerald Aboagye

Attendance: 905
Referee: Richard Eley
Assistants: Keiran Forrest & Harley McKittrick
Fourth official: Matthew Scholes