We continue our build up to Saturday's big re-play of the 2011 FA Trophy final win over Mansfield -- the first time Darlo fans would have seen it full since the big day -- with skipper Ian Miller recalling that big day.

The full 120+1 minutes of action will be played on Saturday!

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Ian Miller – “We all nervously looked at each other”

At half time in the first game of the semi final, we were in shock after Gateshead scored twice in the first half and appearing at Wembley seemed a distant dream. We’d played badly and conceded two sloppy goals and Mark Cooper told us that we had to do much better if we wanted to go to the final.

Fortunately for us, Hatchy came up with two great goals to give us a big lift and handed us the momentum for the second leg to set us up for a 3-2 win. His second goal in particular was a good one, when he ran from the half way line and beat the keeper. People sometimes didn’t fancy Hatchy in a one-on-one and might not have backed him to score, but he almost shovelled the ball through the keeper. Gateshead couldn’t believe that they’d lost the game.

The job wasn’t done and dusted after the first leg of course, but we were jubilant after coming back from 2-0 down. We knew that if we kept a clean sheet in the second leg we were through to Wembley – that was a huge incentive.

We worked on some time wasting tactics for the second leg, which were a bit hilarious really. Sam Russell will tell you about the one he was involved in, but there were a couple more that we hoped would waste some valuable seconds and break up the rhythm of the game at the International Stadium.

Paul Arnison had a throw in routine in which he would throw the ball in such a way that it wouldn’t come into play and there was another one in which one of our players would go down holding his head and that would mean the physio could come on the pitch. They didn’t work very well though – the ref added more than enough time on at the end of the game, just to add to the tension.

We applied ourselves in a very good manner in the second leg. We defended really well and I think they only had a couple of long range shots. I remember Jon Shaw had a half chance, but I managed to block him.

For me, it took ages for the victory to sink in, really until we started preparing in some detail for Wembley. It was my first visit to the new Wembley, either as a player or fan, but I’d been to the old Wembley to watch Colchester in action a couple of times.

The prospect of playing at Wembley never really sank in until about ten days before the game itself when we were fitted for our suits and we’d all received the itinerary. It became more and more surreal.

There was a very good team spirit amongst the players. There was no malice at all from those who couldn’t play or weren’t selected to play towards those who were going to be part of the squad. Adam Quinn and Dan Burn, for example, who had played for other clubs in the competition, didn’t let it affect them, they were all very much part of a team ethic and got very excited about going to Wembley, even though they weren’t playing.

On the day before the match, we visited Wembley to have a look around. I walked up the tunnel across the pitch to the centre circle. Apart from a couple of cleaners and a couple of media people the stadium was completely empty. But nevertheless it still took my breath away.

I thought to myself; “This is the home of English football and we’ll be playing here tomorrow. It’s not going to be full, but that’s irrelevant. There’s nowhere better to play a game.” It was like a drug, I was hooked. I’d been to the Maracana stadium in Brazil and Wembley was the same as that, crammed full of memories.

I sat in the Wembley changing room and thought of all the famous players who had sat in the same place before me, famous players who had taken part in the Champions League final, internationals and big cup finals. People say that the Wembley pitch saps your energy, but it’s the occasion that makes you tired.

The following day, I proudly led the Darlington team on to the pitch – it was a terrific feeling to see all those Darlington fans. I was almost in tears singing the national anthem, it was one of those occasions in which there was a lump in my throat and the hairs were standing up on the back of my neck. I looked up at all those Darlington fans in the crowd and I became very emotional when I saw my family and they saw me.

As for the game, we missed a few chances. I thought Aaron Brown gave away a clear penalty, but Gary Smith could have had one at the other end. I had a growing feeling that it was going to be our day, but we just couldn’t score. I hit the post with a header, Bridgey hit the post as well with a free kick – maybe he hit the ball too well because the keeper was stranded – and Tommy Wright headed wide when you would have backed him to hit the target. When Tommy missed, I definitely thought about extra time.

The match turned into a chess game, everything was carefully planned. There were plenty of tired legs on the field and at one point Adam Murray, the Mansfield skipper, suggested to me that we should just call the game a draw there and then and go straight to penalties!.

I must admit, I became more and more certain that we were going to penalties. If we did though, I know I wasn’t going to be in the first eight of our penalty takers! A lot of people asked me later if I would have taken one of the first five and I replied yes, but I was only being polite. I was far from confident.

Anyway, we got a long throw on our left. We were in the last minute and I looked at our bench and got the signal to prepare for a move that we’d worked on previously in training. Aaron had what you would call a short long throw, not a really massive one. He threw the ball in and it seemed to take forever to reach me. I half heartedly flicked it on, Tommy Wright headed it on and again the ball seemed to hang. I don’t think I’d ever seen a ball bounce off the top of the crossbar in the way as it did then. At that point, I looked at their keeper’s face and he knew that we were going to score because Chris Senior was on the spot, waiting for the ball to come down to him and he headed it firmly and carefully into the top corner.

I don’t think I’ve ever known a moment of pure elation like that. Chris raced all the way across to the corner in front of the Darlington fans to celebrate and somehow I managed to find a surge of energy to run over and fall on to the pile of players. I looked over and I could see Coops running along the pitch to join in! It was a fantastic moment, our hands were on the Trophy.

But then we had to quickly come down to Earth and refocus again, because Mansfield were ready to restart the game and we had to make sure that they weren’t going to score at the other end. I was really worried that they would - even though we were in stoppage time - because we’d conceded late goals in several matches that season, there were too many to mention.

Play restarted, they worked the ball near to our box and Aaron gave away a free kick just a few yards outside. The foul didn’t look as bad as the challenge in which I thought he’d given away a penalty in the first half. I quickly started to organise the others. I told Sam Russell that he should stay on his line, because I didn’t want him coming off his line to try and catch the ball and instead see the ball bounce off somebody into the net.

I told Liam Hatch to stay with his man, because with his inexperience at centre half, I didn’t want him to be over-eager going for the ball and losing his man. I quickly checked the other players near me. Everyone was ready. We all nervously looked at each other, we were all very determined to keep them out. I’m sure everybody was remembering those daft late goals we’d conceded during the season, certainly the ones at Bath.

We knew that there were only a few seconds left when the free kick was about to be taken because the referee glanced at his watch a few times. Mansfield threw everybody up, the ball came into the box, I managed to flick it away and then the referee blew his final whistle. We’d won the FA Trophy!!

I ran over to the bench and hugged Richard Dryden, then collapsed into a heap because I was so breathless. It took me a minute or two to recover, then I looked at all the Darlo fans going crazy in front of me. I walked over to the barrier to hug my future wife and my family and seeing their pride in me really hit home. I had tears in my eyes as I hugged and kissed them again and again. My dad always said that he was proud of me and now that I’m a father, I can understand how proud he was to see his son win at Wembley.

The next thing was to climb the steps up to the Royal Box and collect the Trophy. It was a bit tricky walking up the steps, which were low and long, not like a normal household step, so I was conscious of making sure that with the studs on my boots, I didn’t slip over.

I looked behind me and Arnie and Paul Terry were both singing away. We went out of sight, under the stand, ready to take the next flight of steps and it seemed quite quiet there. But then I started to climb the steps up to the Royal Box and then I heard an almighty roar. I looked around and I could see all the Darlo fans waving their scarves and flags, singing and shouting at the tops of their voices. What a moment.

I walked along the Royal Box, shook hands with the dignitaries and waited for everyone else to catch up. Then the moment that everyone was waiting for. I picked the Trophy up and it felt top heavy. I lifted it above my head and the lid dropped off, and hit me on the top of my head! I remember Arnie picked it up and put it back on. With or without the lid, it was the fulfilment of my boyhood dream to climb the Wembley steps and lift a trophy of some sort, and now I didn’t want to let it go.

I looked around the stadium and by now most of the Mansfield fans had left. I remember thinking that I wouldn’t want to be a loser, which was why I was enjoying myself as much as possible. Everything seemed to blend in after that. Going back down the steps, opening the champagne and spraying it all about, posing for photos, celebrating with the fans, it seemed to go on and on, with everybody cheering and clapping. It was truly, truly amazing.

We would have been happy to stay on the pitch for ages, but then along came an official and asked us to move because the groundsmen wanted to work on the pitch ready for the Vase final the following day. The day will be the highlight of my career, I’ll always remember it and I’ve kept scrapbooks with loads of photos. It will be something to always treasure.

As a team, we suddenly seemed unstoppable. I thought we would take the Conference the following season and head back into the Football League. We had a good nucleus of a team together and I thought with a few additions we’d be up there challenging. Financially, the trip to Wembley had topped up the coffers and we’d be in a strong position to attract players.

In 2013, I experienced how Mansfield felt because I finished on the losing side for Grimsby against Wrexham in the Trophy final at Wembley. We didn’t really deserve to win that day and ironically, what I’d feared most from the 2011 game, happened. We lost on penalties.