Whitehawk 0, Wroxham 2

Paddy Davitt

Wroxham moved a step closer to Wembley with a professional 2-0 win at Whitehawk in today's FA Vase semi final, first leg on the south coast.

Paul Cook nudged the Yachtsmen ahead after the interval before Andy Eastaugh sidefooted home just past the hour mark to put David Batch's men in total command of the tie.

Wroxham are now warm favourites to progress to Wembley ahead of next Saturday's second leg return at Trafford Park when club officials are predicting a record turnout. Whitehawk's horror afternoon was capped by a straight red card for assistant boss Darren Freeman deep into added on time.

Wroxham started on the front foot from the kick off with Steve Spriggs winning a free kick inside the opening seconds, Darren Budd cleared his lines with Paul Cook in close attendance from Shaun Howes' inswinger.

Martin McNeil was alert to foil overlapping full back Sam Fish from Whitehawk's first probing counter down the left.

Yachtsmen skipper Graham Challen was penalised for a shove on Wes Taite - but Danny Davis hooked over from 20 yards after Howes' clearance dropped to the midfielder.

Jay Lovett's sliced near post hack clipped the Hawks' side netting from Gavin Lemmon's free kick following good persistent work from Matt Daniels.

Howie confidently punched Budd's opening corner away before Gavin Pauling needed treatment for a right shin injury in a crunching collision with Taite.

McNeil bundled over Hawks' player/assistant boss Freeman but Lemmon was perfectly placed to clear the inswinging free kick at Howie's near post.

Challen was the latest Norfolk player to require treatment with Howie leading the protests to the match official at the stiff challenge during the break in play.

Referee McDermid infuriated Wroxham further with a yellow card shown to Challen for returning to the fray without his permission.

Challen then earned a lecture at the next stoppage for continuing his protests. Lemmon's flick header on 29 minutes flew straight to Hawks' keeper Lloyd Anderson 16 yards out from Cook's flick.

Gary Gilmore was introduced for Daniels seconds later with the youngster's injury gambler appearing to have failed after intensive treatment in a bid to be fit for the tie.

Challen raced across to help out Howes with Hawks looking to step up the pace in the closing stages of a cagey opening period.

Pauling then used all his experience to ease Freeman out at the back post from Taite's teasing cross.

Danny White led a swift counter for the pacy Spriggs who broke from half way but miscued tamely at Anderson in the best chance of the half for the visitors.

Scott Kirkwood was then inches from connecting with Freeman's deep cross at the opposite end but Howes did enough to distract the beanpole wide player.

Justin Harris outmuscled Gilmore at the back post from Pauling's cross but McNeil made a timely intervention to block Fish's cut back with the semi now starting to open up.

Cook was the second Wroxham player cautioned in first half stoppage time for a mistimed sliding challenge on Head.

t Half-time: Whitehawk 0, Wroxham 0

Cook nudged Wroxham in front on 47 minutes - applying the faintest of touches to a Pauling cross helped on by Lemmon.

Wroxham's long serving midfielder than lobbed over from the edge of the box with Whitehawk still reeling from the early set back.

Howie went full length to claw away Taite's low piledriver on 52 minutes in his first meaningful action of the tie.

Wroxham survived a huge penalty appeal from the corner when Freeman went over inside the six yard box following a tangle with McNeil.

The Hawks' assistant boss then went nose to nose with Lemmon as the temperatures rose before a calming word from the match official.

Budd then cracked Howie's bar with a dipping 25 yard free kick before the hosts fired the follow up wide with Wroxham now on the back foot.

Cook was inches from a second after he pounced on indecision between Head and Anderson but a first time lob from edge of the box dropped a yard wide

Eastaugh rifled Wroxham further in front on 62 minutes - sidefooting clinically home from 12 yards after his driving initial run teed up Spriggs.

White just failed to latch onto Pauling's stabbed cross with Wroxham now bossing proceedings.

Cook slipped inside the six yard box with only Andersen to beat as Spriggs again continued to carry the fight.

Eastaugh lunged at Taite on 75 minutes as Whitehawk strived to set up a grandstand finish but McNeil headed Budd's deep set piece behind - Howie calmly collecting the corner.

Taite wriggled free inside the Yachtsmen's box but Challen and McNeil threw up a roadblock to divert behind for a corner that came to nothing.

Howes blocked Taite's goalbound shot in the first of four stoppage times with Whitehawk looking for a lifeline to take to Norfolk.

The hosts' misery was complete in stoppage time when assistant boss Freeman was red carded for an elbow on Eastaugh.

t Result: Whitehawk 0, Wroxham 2

t Whitehawk: Anderson, Lovett, Fish, Budd (Crabb, 84), Head (Whiteman, 71), Harris, Kirkwood, Davis, Freeman, Taite, Holmes (Hughes, 62). Subs (not used): Taylor, Townsend.

Booking: Kirkwood

Sending off: Freeman

t Wroxham: Howie, Pauling, Howes, Challen, McNeil, Eastaugh, Spriggs, Lemmon, Cook, White, Daniels (Gilmore, 30 (Self, 87)). Subs (not used): Carus, Paynter, Durrant.

Bookings: Challen, Cook

Goals: Cook (47), Eastaugh (62)

t Ref: DS McDermid