2005/04/21 - Oadby Town 1 Racing Club Warwick 2 - Midland Football Alliance League Cup Final 2nd Leg

Today I'm going back 17 years to 2005 and a red-letter day for all fans of Racing Club Warwick. After rather too many lean years of lower half of the table finishes and regular disappointment, the corner had been turned. The club, now managed by rookie boss Marcus Law, captured the huge and magnificent League Cup Trophy which was triumphantly taken back to Townsend Meadow that night following a 2-1 away win. This followed up on the First Leg result to furnish Warwick with a 3-2 aggregate win after the initial 1-1 draw in the First Leg. In my column in the programme at the time I wrote the following piece.

"Thursday April 21 will be remembered for a long time in these parts. It was the day that ended over 50 years of “hurt”. Incredibly Racing Club had not enjoyed cup success since Saltisford’s triumphs of the post war era! The match itself was a microcosm (lovely word that!) of our up-and-down season. Throughout the first half Racing Club seemed to be second best creating few chances. Oadby on the other hand seemed to be exceptionally solid at the back with Tyrone Mintus in particular putting in a centre-half performance that had Andy Lovelock scratching his head. They scored via an overhead kick and at half-time Warwick trooped off 2-1 down on aggregate and needing to step up several gears.

I asked Marcus after the match what he had said to the players at half time but all I could get out of him were some modest mutterings about changing the shape. Surely they put something in the tea? The effect was astonishing. Within 15 minutes we had equalised and then taken the lead thanks to two expertly finished Leon Thomas goals (seeing as he scored three goals in the Final does that count as a hat-trick?). The second Warwick goal on the night saw Andy Lovelock round his tormentor of the first half, Tyrone Mintus, and pick out Leon. What joy! Suddenly, with away goals counting double, Oadby had to score two goals, a task that was well beyond them as Racing Club proceeded to boss the remainder of the match. Marcus even managed to bring on club captain Tom Cudworth late on to ensure that it would be he, rather than monumental skipper on the night Lee Everitt, who would collect the Cup.

And what a Cup! If you’re going to wait such a long time to get your hands on some silverware then this is the Cup to get! What a beauty and it’s taking pride of place in the Clubhouse as I write. The League Cup has transformed views of our season. Without it, we would have regarded 2004-05 as a bit disappointing given the optimism that greeted the start of the season. With it, things look so much rosier and it gives the squad that essential winning-confidence and team-bonding that counts for so much in the build up to another assault on the title next season".

Happy days indeed!

CRB Match No. 1433