For May 7th I'm going back 9 years to 2012 and York City's National League Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg away at Field Mill, Mansfield.
There are away games and then there are away games. This was an away game! One of my all-time favourites. Maybe I can name one or two that equalled this one for nervous anticipation and, ultimately, sheer joy but none surpass it.
York had finished the 46 game regular season in fourth place. Six points behind Mansfield Town in third. The final standings meant that City met Mansfield over two legs in the Play-Off Semi-Final for the right to go to Wembley and try to win promotion. Mansfield's higher placing in the league gave them home advantage in the second leg. As perhaps might have been expected, the two games were incredibly tight affairs and the scores were level after a 1-1 draw at Bootham Crescent in the 1st Leg. Strangely, that 1st Leg seems to have become more notable for the antics of Mansfield's glamorous Chief Executive, Caroline Still, than for the football! She was arrested at the match for threatening words and behaviour before being cautioned by the police. Her naughtiness was no doubt reported to Mansfield's Chairman who will have dealt her very firmly I'm sure. Oh did I mention that the two of them were an item? There were suggestions later on that she was, how shall we put it, over-refreshed?
Anyway, that 1st Leg draw meant that City had to go to Mansfield and win in order to reach Wembley. Mansfield, by virtue of their higher placing in the league and performance in the 1st Leg were the favourites. However, there was something about York that season. A feeling about the team and their performances that gave you hope. Playing in front of an attendance of 7,295, City certainly gave a good account of themselves and were the better side over the 90 minutes but couldn't force a goal. 0-0 at full time meant 30 minutes of extra time and then the possibility of a penalty shootout. I think that most of us there that day were already mentally preparing for penalties, the game was that tight. But cometh the hour, cometh the man. 111 minutes in and a cross from Jason Walker was headed home by my all-time favourite City player and programme cover star Matty Blair! You can see Matty pointing and blowing kisses to me on the video attached to my blog! The remining nine minutes plus another four added for injury time seemed to last about two hours. Jason Walker had two glorious opportunities to make the game safe for York but his scoring boots deserted him and York had to sweat every last second until the ecstatic relief of the final whistle. York were going to Wembley and the news coming through from the other Play-Off Semi-Final was that we were going to play Luton. I couldn't have picked better opposition if I'd tried! Roll on Wembley!
CRB Match No. 1897
Comments
Post a Comment