It's ten years since we won at Wembley, and here are the memories of Chris Moore, who played a key role in us winning the Trophy.

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Coming tomorrow -- the whole final replayed, at 3pm

Chris Moore – “I wondered whether I should go into the box and follow the ball in.”

I was out in the cold for the semi final against Gateshead, I wasn’t even included in the squad of 16 and I didn’t even go to the second leg. I kept in touch with the updates on Twitter and text.

I was really pleased for the lads and the fans that they’d got to Wembley, but I didn’t really feel a part of it. I really thought that I had next to no chance of playing at Wembley again - I’d played there two years before for Whitley Bay in the FA Vase final against Glossop and had really enjoyed the experience.

But then my fortunes changed. I came on as a sub in the league soon after at Kidderminster, set up a goal and suddenly I was a regular in the team again and never on the bench or out of the squad.

As Wembley approached, it became more and more obvious to me that I was going to play. We worked on two different teams in training with different shapes and I was in them both. So even though there was a little nagging doubt in the back of my mind, deep down I knew that I would be playing. It was strange that I looked to have no chance of playing at Wembley following the game at Gateshead and now, suddenly, I was expecting to play in the final.

Two years previously, visiting the stadium for the first time was a fantastic experience and it was the same second time around. I still felt the wow factor when I walked up the tunnel and with a bigger crowd and more atmosphere than my previous visit, our game against Mansfield felt more like a cup final.

To be honest, the game is a blur to me but one of the things I do remember is being kicked in the face after a few minutes and I lost a couple of my teeth. I found one and it was only later that I discovered that the other one was pushed up my nose. The doc, physio and I looked all over for it on the turf but we gave up.

As for the game, it looked as if we were going to penalties and I would definitely have taken one of the first five. I even thought about where I was going to place it and at which end the shootout would take place.

Anyway, we got a throw in roughly level with their penalty area and when the ball went into the box, I wondered whether I should go in to the box and follow the ball in or should hang around in case the ball was cleared. I decided to stay where I was, about 30 yards out.

Chris Senior did the following up instead. The ball bounced off the bar and there he was, in the right place, heading into the net. Talk about elation! I was so elated, not just because we’d scored but also because we didn’t have to go to a shootout! It was fairytale stuff, in the last minute of extra time in front of all those Darlington supporters.

Mansfield still had a chance to score at the other end but we managed to get the ball away. On the final whistle, I was so relieved that we’d won and so happy. I didn’t go as crazy as some of the other lads; I wanted to take in all the celebrations. My family and my girlfriend were in the crowd and it was great to share the winning feelings with them.

It was the best feeling in the world going up to the Royal Box to collect my medal and seeing all those fans celebrating was unbelievable. For a lot of them as fans it would have been the best thing that ever happened to them. It was great to share the triumph with them especially after being relegated from the Football League the year before.

I didn’t have long to celebrate afterwards – the doc told me that I needed to go to a dental hospital in Newcastle for treatment to my teeth. So I travelled back on the train the same night from Kings Cross with a few Darlo fans, it was a really enjoyable journey.

A few days later, we all gathered at the ground for the victory parade and manager Mark Cooper called me into his office and after a little bit of small talk, he told me that I was being released. What terrible timing, how could I go and celebrate the Trophy victory properly with all the fans? It was bizarre feeling looking at all the fans celebrating in the market square and thinking that I was looking for a new job the following day.

Watch out for our 2011 Trophy final (second replay) on Saturday!

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