Gateshead FC's dream of making it two pieces of silverware in two season is over after they were beaten 1-0 by Halifax Town at Wembley Stadium. The Heed were the better side for large parts of the game but lacked a threat in the final third to punish the Shaymen.
In truth, neither side tested the opposition goalkeeper a great deal with the only goal of the game a gift for Halifax Town. Louis Storey's poor back pass sold James Montgomery short and Jamie Cooke charged down the goalkeeper's clearance to bundle the ball into the back of the net.
The Heed were dominant on the ball but too passive in a game that needed a spark of quality from Mike Williamson's side. Here's a look at the key talking points from the game:
READ MORE: FC Halifax Town vs Gateshead FC highlights and reaction
Lack of first-half impetus
Gateshead dominated the ball inside the first half but like many occasions this season they've lacked an impetus going forward. That's perhaps understandable given how many players were ineligible for the Heed, but they didn't look to play forward enough inside the opening 45 minutes.
There were ample occasions where Adam Campbell had found a pocket of space after drifting in from the right-hand side, but lacked the confidence to pick him out. Instead he played back to their centre-halves and looked to come out the other side.
For all their possession, the Heed had very little to show for it and Johnson wasn't tested at all in the first half. The opening goal of the game was a shocker to concede.
Storey rolled the ball back to Montgomery who had no other option to clear his lines - straight onto the onrushing Cooke who knew little about it and deflected the ball into the back of the net. A gift for the Shaymen.
Lacked the dynamism to win the game
Gateshead have struggled going forward in the FA Trophy due to a depleted squad and that was the same today. Aaron Martin grafted tirelessly but didn't have a shot on goal.
Adam Campbell and Gregg Olley the Heed's best two players on the day didn't have enough forward runners or anyone looking to get in behind - other than themselves. Campbell found himself in good positions a number of times in the second half but lacked the composure to find an equaliser.
A late drive towards Johnson was well kept out by the Shaymen shot-stopper.
A day for supporters
It sounds cliché to say, but regardless of the result, today was about the supporters. Not backed by thousands like their close neighbours Newcastle and Sunderland but fan owned and in the shadows of two giants.
It was just four years ago Gateshead FC's proposed ownership group would head down to London to find out their fate and see if they'd been saved by supporters. On the eve of the FA Trophy Final, the Heed would be preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime game at the home of English football.
Today was about giving back to supporters who travel thousands of miles every season. Of course, you go to Wembley to win, but a defeat would not detract from what's been an incredible season battling against the odds.
Train disappointment
A number of Gateshead fans were cruelly denied the opportunity to watch their side in the final due to problems on the trains. LNER trains were affected from Newcastle due to a broken rail between York and Doncaster on Sunday morning.
A number of services from Newcastle were cancelled as a result, leaving hundreds of Heed fans sourcing alternative travel arrangements while those in London who were set to travel back this evening, also told to avoid travelling back north.
It was a bitterly disappointing start to the day for some of the Heed Army, who were denied a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see their side at Wembley.
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