Today I'm going back 10 years to 2012 and York City's Friday night visit to Kenilworth Road, Luton to play Town in a Blue Square Bet Premier (National League) fixture attended by 5,925.
Luton went ahead after just five minutes with new signing (and programme cover star) Andre Gray bursting past Chris Smith in the box and finishing from the most acute of acute angles. He had no right to score but score he did. Gray had only joined the Hatters the previous week, signed by manager Gary Brabin from part-time Hinckley United. It's fair to say that Gray grabbed his chance back in the full-time ranks with both hands and never looked back. He would go on to score 57 goals in 111 appearances for Luton, earning him a move to Championship side Brentford where he notched 20 goals in 53 games. His reward? A move to another Championship side, Burnley, and Gray's goals fired them into the Premier League in 2016. From Burnley he moved to another Premier League side in Watford and he is currently to be found on loan at QPR in the Championship. Overall Gray has scored 177 goals in 487 games for his various clubs to date as well as managing a further 3 goals for Jamaica in 11 international games. Gray is also famous (infamous) in his private life for his long-term relationship with a member of the girl band Little Mix (Leigh-Anne) and they have twins together. Not bad for a tearaway from Wolverhampton eh?
Meanwhile, back in Luton, York were establishing a foothold in the game after their poor start. Jamie Reed failed to take a good opportunity and Lanre Oyebanjo rattled Luton's woodwork but the score remained 1-0 going in at halftime. Luton could have gone further ahead early in the second half but keeper Michael Ingham made a great save to stop Andre Gray and the chance was gone. It was surely the turning point of the match. With nine minutes remaining York had a free kick on the edge of the Luton box which was taken by Eugen Bopp, on as a substitute and making his debut. He rolled the ball to Paddy McLaughlin on the edge of the penalty area and McLaughlin rifled in the equaliser. It was a sweet goal but things were about to get even sweeter for York. Eugen Bopp, York's new signing from the Ukraine would make just two appearances for the club: this one plus the home game against Fleetwood eight days later in which he dislocated his shoulder. He was released at the end of the season.
Five minutes later and with just four minutes remaining, another Bopp ball across the box was only half cleared and Ashley Chambers forced a smart save out of Luton's keeper Mark Tyler but the ball fell to James Meredith who reacted first to smash home the winner. The Hatters' manager Brabin cut a folorn figure on the sidelines but little did he know that York would be back to haunt him again before the season was out. City's Gary Mills was rightfully jubilant as were the travelling York fans. Boy did we enjoy playing Luton!
CRB Match No. 1885
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