Whitley Bay manager Ian Chandler hopes Lowestoft Town's late goal will be a blessing in disguise. Jamie Godbold's superb volley six minutes from time, with the Blues down to 10 men, halved the lead Bay will take down to Crown Meadow for Saturday's FA Vase semi-final, second leg.

Whitley Bay manager Ian Chandler hopes Lowestoft Town's late goal will be a blessing in disguise.

Jamie Godbold's superb volley six minutes from time, with the Blues down to 10 men, halved the lead Bay will take down to Crown Meadow for Saturday's FA Vase semi-final, second leg.

But Chandler believes the goal will help his side avoid any temptation to be complacent, as both clubs aim to secure a place in the final, at Wembley on May 10.

"Maybe it's a better score for us in truth, because 2-0 we could've been a little bit complacent," said Chandler. "At 2-1, we know we've got to be on our game, we've got to be tight, we know we've got to battle, so it could work in our favour.

"After last year when we came away with a 4-0 defeat, a 2-1 lead is a big plus point. Last year overall they were two good ties, but they were both one-sided. Today was edging that way until we took a few injuries and actually switched off for half a second, and that's what you can't do against Lowestoft.

"They're not in the semi-final two years running for no reason, and they're not running away with the league for no reason. It was just half a second and the lad scored. So, good tie next week.

The first leg was an eventful one, with one penalty and a sending off in the second half.

However, Chandler felt Town full-back Jack Marsden should have also walked after he brought down Paul Chow for Bay's second goal, from the penalty spot, while injury-time appeals for handball against Marcus Saunders were also waved away by referee Karl Evans .

"I think it was personally," said Chandler, of Whitley's appeals for a second spot-kick. "The first penalty, should the lad have been sent off? I don't like to see people booked, but I'm sure if it'd been us doing that, we would've got someone sent off.

"But the second one, I don't know if the referee couldn't see it or what, but the fourth official turned and give us a wry smile, so I think he knew it was handball."

Lowestoft had been excellent until a double substitution from Chandler early in the second half turned the tie in Whitley's favour.

"It had to be done," admitted Chandler. "We had around 3,000 watching, the wide right player Chris Moore, who's been excellent all season, it just didn't happen for him today. Paul Robinson in midfield, who can win a game by himself, it didn't happen for him.

"So we bypassed the width, Lee Kerr dropped in, who can play as well as anybody, and we've put the other two lads up front and thankfully it paid off. It could've back fired."