SPENNYMOOR Town defender Danny Moore last night revealed his heartache at missing the FA Vase final on Saturday, but he still intends to lift the silverware.

The popular skipper and centre half, nicknamed Bobby, will not play in the Ebac Northern League club’s game against Tunbridge Wells after he suffered a broken ankle.

He was hurt in a game against Ashington on Thursday night, but only discovered the extent of the injury with an X-ray on Sunday.

He said: “I played on for ten minutes after the tackle, but after that I knew it was serious because I couldn’t run it off. I told Jason Ainsley, the manager, to take me off before it got worse.

“Normally if I pick up a knock, I recover within two or three days at the most, and have never really been injured for any length of time.

“In fact, I have been playing for ten years and in all that time, I do not think I have missed two successive games.

“On Sunday, I still couldn’t put my weight on my ankle, so I decided to go for a dip in the sea, because saltwater helps, and you are not supposed to feel pain in saltwater.

But after a few minutes, I knew it wasn’t helping, and went straight to A&E.

“At first, the doctor thought it wasn’t a fracture, but then another one had a look and said it was a clean break.

“I was inconsolable, because I knew my chance of playing at Wembley had gone.

Four women doctors, two of them who come from Spennymoor, came in to console me.”

However, he will still be a key part of the day, and if Moors win the Vase for the first time in their history, and the club can get the blessing of the FA, he will climb the steps, with the use of his crutches, to the royal box to receive the trophy.

He said: “I am still going to the game, and I intend to lead the lads out onto the field. If we win, I also want to go up and receive the Vase, even if takes me a while.

“If we win, I will still be as proud as punch of the lads.”

Moors manager Jason Ainsley has yet to decide who will replace Moore as captain.

Candidates include Spennymoor- born Lewis Dodds and centre-back Leon Ryan, who captained Whitley Bay when they won the Vase.