Soccer-Barman's FA Cup dream soars and dies at Blyth

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By Ian Chadband

LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Robbie Dale, who works as a barman in his mum's pub, momentarily glimpsed the role of FA Cup folk hero until the dream for his seventh-tier Blyth Spartans team evaporated on Saturday.

On what is still sold as English football's most romantic Saturday of the season, the FA Cup third round, the competition's lowest-ranked survivors from the semi-pro Northern Premier League took a 2-0 halftime lead over Birmingham City with excellent goals from captain Dale.

Reality soon bit, though, with Championship (second tier)Birmingham responding emphatically early in the second half with three goals in 13 minutes, from Lee Novak and a double from Wes Thomas, to seal a 3-2 win.

At least Blyth (NYSE: BTH - news) 's efforts brought an old-fashioned glow to a day's fare which, deprived of the biggest clubs who nearly all enter the fray on Sunday, offered no stories in the same fairytale mould.

There was heartbreak for Conference side Southport, who defended heroically at Championship high-flyers Derby County before succumbing to a last-minute Chris Martin penalty.

Of the four Premier League teams in action, West Bromwich Albion, with new manager Tony Pulis at the helm, thrashed Conference side Gateshead 7-0, with four goals from Saido Berahino, while Swansea City routed League Two strugglers Tranmere Rovers 6-2.

In the one all-top flight game, Leicester City gained welcome respite from their Premier League struggles when a first-half Leonardo Ulloa goal sunk managerless Newcastle United 1-0.

Blyth's 30-year-old captain Dale, who is barman at The Blacksmith in Newcastle, must have fancied his chances of joining the likes of Ronnie Radford and Chris 'the Leatherhead Lip' Kelly as FA Cup immortals when he scored splendidly in the 35th and 41st minute.

UNDERWHELMING FEEL

Yet Dale, an unusual character who stopped playing football for two years before re-emerging in a pub team called The Balloon, says he does not get het up about football and was treating the match as just another game.

Which is just as well, considering how Birmingham spoiled all the fun with Novak's 52nd-minute goal, followed by Thomas's double in the space of three minutes.

Tom Wade, Blyth's manager, told the BBC: "I'm exceptionally proud of the lads and how we performed today. Robbie Dale had a great game -- two fantastic goals.

"The FA Cup for non-league players means everything, the world. It's the biggest tournament in the world for us, and it's a pleasure to play in it."

On a Saturday designed for the non-league Davids to go hunting for fairweather Goliaths, the only problem was that the Goliaths -- like Manchester United (NYSE: MANU - news) who play at Yeovil -- were mainly in action on Sunday.

It all led to an underwhelming feel to a traditionally compelling day with the two Premier League clubs pitted against lowly opponents in no mood to mess around.

Pulis picked a strong West Brom side and was rewarded with Berahino looking in rampant mood amid the speculation which still surrounds his future at the Hawthorns.

With Victor Anichebe, Chris Brunt and James Morrison also on the scoresheet, Berahino, who scored his first three in 11 minutes either side of the break and added his fourth in the final minute, praised Pulis's immediate impact.

"Tony Pulis is a big character and has put his stamp on the club already," he said. "You could see that the lads were getting stuck in for him today."

The most disappointed players of the day must have been Southport's battlers, who missed out on a lucrative replay only to a 93rd-minute penalty but at least had the consolation of being applauded off the field by Derby's fans.

"The players in that dressing room are devastated. It was a cruel way to go down," said manager Gary Brabin. (Editing by Mark Meadows; mark.meadows@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 7933; Reuters Messaging:; mark.meadows.reuters.com@reuters.net)