Whitstable Town are going to Wembley!

They played out a goalless draw in their FA Vase semi-final second leg at Hartpury University to progress 2-0 on aggregate.

Whitstable will play Combined Counties League AFC Whyteleafe at Wembley on Sunday, May 11.

A cagey opening saw neither team want to give anything away. Southern Counties East League Whitstable probably settled the quickest, although clear-cut chances were few and far between on a hard, bobbly pitch.

Their first sight of goal came after 18 minutes when Ronald Sithole cut inside on the right but dragged his left-foot shot wide of the near post.

The pitch nearly caught out Hartpury keeper Stephen Sarkodie when his opposite number Dan Colmer launched the ball downfield. Too long for his strikers, it bounced wickedly off the pitch and Sarkodie had to be alert to avoid any embarrassment.

Hartpury’s Luke Salter hit a 25-yard free-kick into the defensive wall just before the half-hour as the hosts grew into the contest. Louis Manning burst into the penalty area and pulled the ball back, but no one was there to take a shot at goal.

Whitstable’s first shot on target came on 36 minutes, but Finn Cotton’s 20-yard drive lacked the power needed to trouble Sarkodie.

The best move of the half came four minutes before the break when Hartpury successfully played out from the back, Sarkodie finding Nathan Jenkins on the half-turn and he was able to stride forward before setting up Renato Prifti. He was allowed too much space on the edge of the box, but his right-foot shot was well turned over by Colmer.

Both sides had early chances in the second half. The lively Prifti headed Salter’s free-kick at Colmer before Harvey Smith headed over a Cotton corner at the other end.

Sarkodie cut a nervy figure in the Hartpury goal and was nearly caught out by a Josh Roney backpass, allowing the ball to run across his goal and just clearing in time.

The game never had a flow. Whitstable were effective and not particularly pretty on the eye. They didn’t need to be - and it wasn’t a time or place to be taking any unnecessary chances.

But they had a defensive shape and pattern that was rock solid, with centre-halves Jamie Coyle and Finn O’Mara barely putting a foot out of place in the 90 minutes.

Hartpury’s Billy Osborn clattered into player-boss Coyle midway through the second half, underlining Hartpury’s frustration as they couldn’t build any serious attacking momentum.

They threw on an extra striker with 20 minutes left but still it made no difference. The goal they needed to bring the game to life never looked like arriving.

In fact, Whitstable should have wrapped the tie up with three minutes left when Smith had a glorious chance, but he somehow fired wide of the target. It didn’t matter in the end.

Salter drew a fine stop from Colmer during four minutes of stoppage time but the Oystermen progressed to the final without conceding a goal over 180 minutes of the semi-final.

Referee Richard Eley, who had an excellent game, blew for full-time and sparked brilliant celebrations for Coyle and everyone connected with Whitstable.

Hartpury: Sarkodie, Kent, Robinson (Reid 72mins), Giles, Roney, Jenkins (Sims 88mins), Prifti (Ewing 66mins), Towns (Kone 81mins), Osborn, Salter, Manning. Sub not used: Kang.

Whitstable: Colmer, Thompson, Coyle, O’Mara, Olugbooi, Cotton (O’Mara-Knapp 94mins), Dalton, Wilkins (Rees 83mins), Sithole (McIntyre 85mins), Jeche (Healy 90mins), Smith. Subs not used: Aboyage.

Referee: Richard Eley.

Attendance: 905.