Wealdstone’s Wembley dream is over after Brackley Town won 2-0 at Grosvenor Vale to complete a 3-0 aggregate victory and book their place in the FA Trophy final in May.

Trailing 1-0 from last Saturday’s first leg, Bobby Wilkinson’s men offered disappointingly little as an attacking force until Shane Byrne’s free-kick put the visitors in front early in the second period.

Indeed, had it not been for some good goalkeeping from Jonathan North, strong defending and wayward finishing, Stones could have already found themselves behind at the break because Town were the better side.

A triple change from Wilkinson did inject some attacking life into Stones and for a spell they threatened to set up a grandstand finale.

But Brackley’s impressively organised defensive ranks held firm and they duly exposed their hosts on the counter, with Aaron Williams firing home a second from the edge of the area.

The Stones boss made just the one change to his starting XI from the first leg with Matthew Whichelow preferred to Ricky Wellard, while Brackley boss Kevin Wilkin kept faith with the same team that had secured a late one-goal advantage last weekend.

Following a five-minute delay to kick-off to ease crowd congestion, the visitors had the first opportunity when Gareth Dean headed wide from a corner from the right after a mix-up in Stones defence had led to the set piece.

The hosts were soon to have a corner of their own, but following a game of head tennis in and around the box Brackley were able to clear their lines.

Another corner was to quickly follow though, and following another Danny Green delivery from the right Jerome Okimo was able to squeeze in a near-post header which was headed clear by Byrne.

Lee Ndlovu shot wide from distance at the other end but the hosts were shading the early exchanges, only for the visitors to respond with a good attacking spell of their own which saw Glenn Walker have a 20-yard effort deflected behind.

The Brackley pressure continued to intensify with the game approaching the 20-minute mark, with Byrne’s inswinging free-kick headed goalwards at the far post, but Jake Sheppard did well to clear.

North, not for the first time, did well to deal with a high ball under pressure, but it was then Eddie Oshodi’s turn to come to the rescue, getting across to block superbly just as Ndlovu pulled the trigger following a mis-cued header from Glenn Wilson.

What was increasingly resembling a bombardment continued from the resultant corner with prolific striker Williams putting a clear header narrowly over the top from the right-sided delivery.

Wilkinson’s men were then able to enjoy some much-needed respite until the 34th minute when Byrne connected superbly with a half-volley from 25 yards, but it was always swerving away from North’s left-hand upright.

More problems came from a free-kick on the Stones right which saw Williams’ header blocked and the ball broke for Byrne in the area, but the effort-alert North pounced on the ball to save on his line.

Having been very much on the back foot for most of the first half though, Stones spurned a chance six minutes before the break when Mutsfa Tiryaki didn’t get a clean flick on a Sheppard free-kick from the right and the ball cannoned off a defender and wide.

Another half-chance came from the resultant free-kick, but Oshodi was unable to direct his header on target.

However, the visitors were to go much closer in the last minute of the half when Glenn Walker sent over a high looping delivery from the left and Ndlovu got up at the far post but nodded wide from close range.

Playing down the slope towards the end where the bulk of their fans were in an attendance of 2,008, Stones needed to improve offensively after the break.

But it was their opponents who continued to look the more threatening in the early stages of the second half, although North was not to be unduly alarmed by this early pressure.

That all changed six minutes after the restart when Sheppard was penalised for a foul in a dangerous position around 20 yards out and Byrne struck the free-kick accurately inside the far post to make it 1-0 and leave the hosts with an even bigger task on their hands.

North had to deal with a close-range effort from first leg scorer Alex Gudger as Stones struggled to deal with another set piece, but then Wilkinson went all in.

On came Wellard, Harry Goodger and Daniel Fitchett in place of Tiryaki, Wilson and Bradley Bubb and, almost immediately, the hosts started asking questions as Sheppard fizzed a well-struck half-volley across the face of goal from the right side of the penalty area.

Minutes later, a corner from the right almost picked out the head of Goodger at the near post; the substitute surely scoring if he made contact with the ball but he narrowly failed to.

Green then hit a good low shot from 20 yards which forced Danny Lewis into his first meaningful save of the afternoon, but it was a good one to keep the shot out and it needed to be.

After Ndlovu had fouled Sheppard on the right for which he was correctly booked, the wing-back’s good delivery picked out the unmarked Okimo at the far post, but he blazed over.

Although they were having to commit bodies forward, Stones still needed to be attentive at the other end and Glenn Walker was to go close with 15 minutes remaining with a low drive that was made awkward for North by a deflection.

But with their next attack Brackley made sure they would be making the trip to Wembley in May.

Stones were caught on the counter as Ellis Myles’ played the ball with the outside of his right foot into the path of Williams and the striker finished with aplomb, curling a low shot from the edge of the area and beyond the despairing North to make it 3-0 on aggregate.

Although the tie was up, the hosts tried to push for a consolation but disappointing as the result, they could have no complaints at the final whistle.

Wealdstone: North; Sheppard, Oshodi, Okimo, Wilson (Goodger 61), Sellers; Cox; Green, Whichelow; Bubb (Fitchett 61), Tiryaki (Wellard 61). Subs not used: Constable, Olomowewe.

Brackley Town: Lewis; Dean, Graham, Gudger; Myles, Byrne, A Walker, G Walker; Armson; Ndlovu (Lowe 79), Williams (Lucas 90). Subs not used: Streete, Diggin, Oti.

Bookings: Armson for a foul on Whichelow (28); Ndlovu for a foul on Sheppard (71); Fitchett for a foul on Gudger (74); Oshodi for a foul on Lowe (88).

Attendance: 2,008.

Referee: Gavin Ward.