WHEN it comes to semi-finals, Gary Bennett can consider himself to be something of a specialist.

In fact, until Saturday afternoon, Bennett had yet to play for a losing team in the penultimate game in any competition.

His successes in semi-finals include an FA Cup, Milk Cup and Division One play-off with Sunderland.

But at 4.55pm on Saturday, the former Sunderland, Darlington and Scarborough man was as dejected as the rest of the Durham City team, whose dreams of an FA Vase final encounter with Tiptree at Villa Park in May were over.

In truth they were beaten over the two legs by the better team in Whitley Bay - and perhaps that was what hurt the players most.

"It's the first time I've lost in a semi-final - and it's not a very nice feeling," admitted 41-year-old Bennett. "It certainly wasn't the mood in the changing room we wanted.

"But we didn't get at them enough over the two games and we didn't ask them enough questions. Bay weren't that good, it was just that we were poor - we didn't perform as a team today."

Bennett, however, did join his manager Brian Honour in hoping Andy Gowens and his Whitley Bay side bring the silverware back to the North-East.

Honour and Gowens embraced after the match, and the two obviously share a mutual respect for what each has achieved in this year's competition.

"They were the better team over two legs," said former Hartlepool midfielder Honour.

"But I sincerely from the bottom of my heart hope they win it. Last year we were playing in front of 30 or 40 people here and look at how many we had today.

"It shows the progress we have made."

But neither side did much to strike fear into Jewson Eastern Counties League side, Tiptree, although Bay had a job to do and they did just that.

The North Tyneside outfit appeared to be a touch classier than Durham City, the side directly above them in Division One of the Northern League.

But a great advert for the Northern League and non-league football in general it wasn't.

Chances were at a premium and the 2,000-plus fans were not treated to any great degree of entertainment.

Bay decided on a policy of shutting out Durham and it worked a treat. City's main threat came from set-pieces as they tried and failed to break down Bay's back five.

A forgettable opening 45 minutes was followed by only a slightly less forgettable second-half.

Bay had the better of the midfield, with Kevin Walton standing head and shoulders above the mediocrity that surrounded him.

And fittingly it was Walton who created the best chance of the game for himself.

He picked the ball up 30 yards out on the left and moved forward before unleashing a curling drive that beat the keeper all ends up before coming back off a post.

However hard they tried, City just couldn't break down the Whitley Bay defence.

Their best hope lay in the delivery from either flank, and the one time the disappointing Tony Healer - who seemed to be trying his level best to get himself sent-off - did get on the end of a Craig Lake cross his effort was pushed away by John Caffrey.

On the left Stuart Irvine always looked dangerous for City, but too many times he ended up on the floor, with the chance to find either of his striking partners passing him by.

With time running out in the final minutes of added time, City's last chance came and went as Keith Douglas just failed to get any real power behind a shot after Danny Anderson has misdirected a header across his own goal.

The final whistle was greeted with jubilation from the Whitley Bay players and utter despair from Durham's gallant men.

As Andy Gowens said afterwards, an all North-East encounter would have made a great final - but alas it was not to be