[caption id="attachment_14236" align="alignnone" width="300"] Chris Senior heads the winner[/caption]

I nearly didn’t make the final squad, because three weeks before the final I injured my calf in the 3-2 away defeat at Hayes and Yeading and it looked as if I wouldn’t recover in time.

I’d been playing regularly until then, and I thought that I would have a place either in the team or on the bench. But suddenly my possible Wembley appearance was all up in the air, and it would be up to the physio, Ali Logan, to get me right for the game. It looked as if my dream of playing at Wembley would be ruined.

I had intensive treatment for a fortnight, and thanks to all the exercises and fitness work, I had my first training session on the Tuesday before Wembley. Was I relieved!

I came through the session without any reaction to the injury. Mark Cooper asked me how I was feeling, and I told him that I felt fine. He said that I wouldn’t be in the starting eleven – he had named the team the day before -- but I might be on the bench. Coops liked to keep his cards close to his chest. I figured that it would be between me and Nathan Modest for a place, because we had a spare keeper (Danzelle St Louis-Hamilton), a spare defender (Phil Gray), two midfielders (Paul Terry and Aman Verma) so that only left one place for a sub forward.

On the Friday, we went to Wembley to have a look around. It was a great opportunity to get a feel for the ground and take a few photos. I tried to stay positive and optimistic that I would have a place on the bench, and if that were to happen, then I was pretty sure I would actually go on the field.

Coops sat us down in the dressing room, and suddenly I realised, this was the moment he was going to name his subs. He read the starting eleven out again, and then he came to the subs – and mine was the first name he read out! I was delighted, but then I looked around at Nathan, and he looked as if he wanted to be outside on his own. I felt sorry for him.

I was really up for the occasion the following day, and from what I recall, I didn’t have any nerves. Early in the second half, the boss told me to start focussing, and midway through, I went on for John Campbell. The game was really stretched, we were on top, but couldn’t score. Marc Bridge-Wilkinson hit the post, Tommy Wright headed just wide, Ian Miller hit the post.

Late in extra time, I started to think about penalties. Earlier in the season, I’d missed a penalty badly against Southport by trying to place the ball, and I made my mind up that I would definitely take a penalty in the shootout, and I would hit it hard up the middle.

In the last minute, we won a throw in on our left hand side. I went to a position on the six yard line, in the middle of the goal. We all knew that this would be our last chance to score in the game.

Aaron Brown threw the ball in, Dusty Miller got a touch on it, and I was hoping that somebody would get on the end of it, because their keeper had come off his line. Tommy Wright then got his head to the ball, and I could tell that the ball was going to hit the bar. The keeper went dashing past me towards the net, and I thought that if the ball came back out to me, then I would be waiting for a tap in. I didn’t think I was offside, because when the keeper came off his line, there were two defenders goalside of me. The keeper clattered into the back of the net, the ball bounced off the bar, and I told myself to make sure that I hit the target when it came down. I headed the ball firmly into the net, and even though the keeper got his left hand to the ball, his hand was over the line. Goal!!! What a feeling when the ball went into the net. I started to celebrate. The good thing was, I knew where some of my friends were in the crowd, and I looked towards them. All the Darlo fans were at that end, and I ran towards the corner. I thought about taking my shirt off, but then I was mullered to the ground by the rest of the lads! I couldn’t breathe with all of them lying on top of me, but what an ecstatic feeling! I’ll never, ever, be able to replicate that.

[caption id="attachment_14237" align="alignnone" width="300"] Chris Senior celebrates[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_14238" align="alignnone" width="300"] Chris Senior after scoring the winner[/caption]

There was another unforgettable feeling when we went up the steps to get the Trophy, because my wife and family were sat next to the steps. My wife was heavily pregnant at the time, and I was hoping that the excitement wouldn’t be too much for her, and give birth there and then. Now that would have been an even more dramatic end to the day!

I kissed my wife, and everyone was made up. There were tears in my eyes as I climbed the steps. I’d always dreamt of climbing the steps at Wembley, and it takes longer at the new Wembley than it did at the old Wembley, because a steward asked us to wait at the top of the first flight of steps before we went up to the royal box.

While I was waiting, I had a few thoughts for my mate Tyrone Thompson from Mansfield, who had been at my wedding the year before, and then the lads and I cheered and gave each other high fives.

I could see all the Darlo fans in their colours, and I could hear them all shouting and cheering. I could also see the Mansfield fans staying behind and applauding us as well. There was a huge amount of noise as we all celebrated.

And then when we walked up to the royal box and Dusty lifted the Trophy, his euphoria and the huge roar from the Darlington were things you only dream of.

[caption id="attachment_14239" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ian Miller lifts the Trophy[/caption]

Four days later, just 20 minutes before we paraded the Trophy to the fans in Darlington market place, Coops asked me to go to his office. There was a bit of small talk, then he told me that he was releasing me. I was really disappointed that he’d told me just 20 minutes before we were due to go on stage, and that he’d been a bit more open with me, maybe even told me before the final. But maybe from his point of view, it preyed on his mind that he would have to tell me the bad news, and he couldn’t find the right moment to tell me. I speak to his assistant, Richard Dryden regularly, and next time I see Coops, I’ll have a beer with him.

That header turned out to be my last touch for Darlo – but how many people can say that the last touch for their club was a last minute winner at Wembley?

(Pics by Les Hodge)