The Matches That Matter

February 12, 2012. That date will live long in the memory of every West Bromwich Albion fan, particularly those few thousand fortunate enough to have snaffled tickets and who occupied the lower tier of the Steve Bull Stand at Molineux.

The truth is, Albion went into that Black Country derby against Wolverhampton Wanderers in pretty awful form. They’d claimed but a single win in their previous seven matches, which left them anxiously glancing over their shoulder at the relegation scrap unfolding below.

One of the sides involved in that scrap was Wolves, whose manager Mick McCarthy was beginning to feel the heat. This was unquestionably a derby match, at English football’s top table, that had more riding on it than mere bragging rights.

Despite those prior struggles, the Baggies began the better team, and should have been in front well before they finally did make the all-important breakthrough. Peter Odemwingie, whose name will forever be associated with this fixture, might have bagged five or six goals on another day. Instead, he had to settle for just the three.

Odemwingie’s first saw him cut in from the left and unleash a shot that ricocheted through goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey’s legs in front of a silent North Bank. That lead, though, was cancelled out in the first-half stoppage time – not usually the best time to concede.

Wolves’ rare foray forward resulted in Sylvan Ebanks-Blake nodding the ball into the path of Steven Fletcher, who juggled the ball past Steven Reid and then fired it past Ben Foster. Parity restored.

Whatever was said by boss Roy Hodgson in the visitors’ dressing room at half time clearly had the desired effect. Albion had to come again, and they did so with a flourish.

Just after the hour mark, calamity struck for Hennessey as towering Swede Jonas Olsson hooked a shot at goal and the Welshman dropped the ball over his own line. Fan favourite Olsson peeled away to celebrate with the raucous away following. They were hungry for more, and they got plenty.

Olsson, and Liam Ridgewell – making his Albion debut, no less, after arriving from Blues – caused more panic in the Wolves box from a set piece and Odemwingie applied the finishing touch. There was breathing space.

Did they run down the clock? Most certainly not. Albion continued to pile on the misery, and when James Morrison pulled a cross back to the onrushing Keith Andrews – another Baggies debutant, and an ex-Wolves player to boot – you knew what was coming.

Odemwingie sealed the most memorable of hat tricks at the death, an opening laid on a plate by Morrison again. “Boing boing, take that,” was the commentary from Sky Sports’ Alan Parry.

There’s been many a great day out at the Mol’ for Albion fans down the years, but this one stands head and shoulders above all others.

Celtic have won 52 Scottish top-flight league titles, but few have been secured in such dramatic fashion as in the 1978/9 season.

Ten men won the league.

State that phrase to anyone who goes in the door at Celtic Park, young or old, and they will know instantly the night to which it refers.

Winning a title on the last evening of your campaign is special. 

Doing it against your biggest rivals just cranks that up a notch. 

Doing it with a one-man disadvantage and a goal behind with less than half of the match to play and you are into legendary status.

That all played out for Celtic on Monday, May 21, 1979. In Lisbon Lions captain Billy McNeill’s first season as manager, he claimed the domestic game’s biggest prize in the most enthralling of circumstances.

Celtic had hosted their Old Firm rivals needing a win to guarantee the title.

The Light Blues, who had two matches left to play after this, only needed a draw to retain a chance at the trophy. And for a long period of the evening it looked like that chance was on.

Rangers led inside nine minutes with a goal from Alex McDonald, and a wave of pressure from the hosts could not bring a leveller before half time.

Ten minutes after the restart, McDonald was again involved. Decked by a Johnny Doyle boot, the Celt was red-carded and odds lengthened on that home triumph.

The rest is now inked in folklore. Roy Aitken secured an equaliser at 67 minutes with a close-range finish. Then, 15 minutes from the end, another Aitken shot was diverted into the net by George McCluskey, and Parkhead erupted.

Still the drama was not over. Before Celtic could consolidate, Bobby Russell fired a shot through a crowd of players and it was 2-2.

The Hoops had to go for it. Driven by a passionate home crowd, McNeill’s men regained their lead courtesy of an own goal by Rangers’ Colin Jackson.

The dream was within Celtic’s reach, and they famously grabbed it in the final minute when Murdo McLeod ran forward and unleashed a 35-yard thunderbolt into the net.

It remains, possibly along with 1985/1986 at Love Street, the club’s most dramatic title win. 

Given the fact that there was no TV coverage, it remains extra-special for those inside the stadium – officially 52,000, yet it was claimed far more attended.

However, even for those not there, it’s a moment of the club's history that is cherished.

The night ten men won the league.

The Rangers huddle on the Parkhead turf at full time merely rubbed salt into Celtic's wound.

Winning the title at the home of your greatest rivals. Not just by beating them, but by bludgeoning them into submission.

The scoreline itself doesn't even begin to tell the story of one of the craziest 90 minutes Scottish football has ever seen.

There were three red cards and a penalty on the day. 

The referee, Hugh Dallas, had blood pouring from his head after being struck by a coin thrown from the home end.

At one point, a Celtic fan was stretchered away after falling off the top tier of the stadium. 

It was mayhem.

But for Rangers and their new Dutch boss, Dick Advocaat, it was one of the greatest days in the club's long history.

When he arrived in the summer of 1998, Celtic were champions following almost a decade of Ibrox dominance.

Advocaat's aim was to reclaim the city's bragging rights, which he did in some style. Rangers were rampant in the game – they could and should have won by more.

After just 12 minutes they went ahead courtesy of Neil McCann. That rattled Celtic and tempers were soon beginning to flare, the thought of losing their championship trophy in front of their own supporters too much to bear.

When French full-back Stephane Mahe was sent off, there was only ever going to be one winner.

Just before half time, Dallas required treatment after being hit by a coin thrown from the crowd. Moments later he'd awarded Rangers a spot kick for a pull by Vidar Riseth on Tony Vidmar in the box. The penalty was dispatched by German midfielder Jorg Albertz, a Celtic scourge, and the visitors suddenly had that league flag within their grasp. 

And with 15 minutes to go, McCann – who had tormented Celtic all evening – grabbed the third, decisive goal. For the away support in the corner of Parkhead, it was party time. 

After Riseth and Rod Wallace had both been sent off towards the end, players and staff celebrated on the pitch, despite most of the stadium baying for their blood.

“The Huddle” has become synonymous with the Hoops over the years. But not that day. Rangers were the team who gathered together in a circle in an audacious taunt towards their Old Firm foes. They were quickly ushered off for their own protection – but they'd got what they came for.

They had clinched the championship in Celtic's backyard – and the gloating could begin.

ITV sports correspondent Gabriel Clarke said of this epic clash: “For sheer do-or-die, nerve-shredding tension, there has never been a last-day scenario quite like the one played at Edgar Street this weekend."

On May 3, 1997, Hereford hosted Brighton in a match that would see one of them dropping out of the Football League. Both sides were on 46 points ahead of the final game of the 1996/97 Third Division season. Despite Hereford having a better goal difference (-15 vs 17), back then goals scored took precedence (53 for Brighton vs 50 for Hereford).

Before the crucial contest, Albion boss Steve Gritt said it was “not worth contemplating relegation” and that everyone at the club could “scarcely believe” they were in this terrifying position. Indeed, they were standing on the precipice of footballing oblivion. They were former top-flight competitors and FA Cup finalists, so how had it come to this?  

On a soggy pitch, the hosts started the brighter, and an own goal from Kerry Mayo early on sent the 3,500 travelling Seagulls fans into a panic-stricken state. The atmosphere had changed from one of hope to dread. The storm clouds began to gather… 

As wave after wave of Hereford attacks rained down on Brighton’s goal, it seemed the Bulls would add to their lead. And yet their profligacy in front of goal proved to be their undoing – and with that, Albion pounced.

Substitute Robbie Renielt was quickest to react and stabbed home the rebound after Craig Maskell’s long-range strike cannoned off the post. The survival balance had been completely shifted; now Hereford had to score again... but to no avail. Brighton had walked across the tightrope and made it to the other side.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw. Brighton had survived but Hereford were down. At one stage, the Sussex side were 12 points adrift from safety but they stayed up by the skin of their teeth.

And to think, if they had been relegated, they may not have made it to the promised land of the Premier League. Tony Bloom might not have bought the club in 2009. All the wonderful and magical things happening to Brighton at present may not have come to pass. This was the most important game in Brighton’s history and they fought tooth and nail to get the result they needed. Cometh the hour, cometh the Seagulls!

Their club’s confrontation with Manchester United on September 21, 2014 was the sort of occasion Leicester City fans had spent more than a decade longing for. But not in their wildest dreams could they have imagined what would actually happen.

Leicester had spent more than 10 years away from the Premier League, so the excitement among the club faithful at merely hosting Manchester United was overwhelming.

But by the end of the 90 minutes, Leicester supporters had witnessed one of the greatest matches of their lives, one of the most memorable comebacks in Premier League history, and the game that announced Jamie Vardy as a folk hero.

The fixture started how many thought it would. Leicester’s defence was not expected to be able to keep out a three-pronged attack of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao.

A deflected van Persie header and then the cutest of lobs from Angel Di Maria had United 2-0 up after 16 minutes. Oh well, the excitement was fun while it lasted.

But that Leicester team, under the guidance of hard-nosed Nigel Pearson, had a grit to them. Vardy, during the days when he didn’t let defenders have even a moment’s peace, nipped in ahead of Marcos Rojo and dropped a perfect cross onto Leonardo Ulloa’s head. A thumping effort from the Argentinian left David De Gea helpless.

When Ander Herrara’s deft flick deceived Kasper Schmeichel and put United 3-1 up, there was an air of pride at the King Power Stadium. The fans knew their team had given it a good go.

But that’s not how the players felt. They weren’t satisfied with a valiant defeat. And what followed was the best 20 minutes of most Leicester fans’ years of following the club.

The relentless Vardy drew a shove in the back from Rafael and David Nugent converted the penalty. Game on. Then, with Leicester fans still trying to fathom that Champions League winner Esteban Cambiasso was playing for their club, he popped up and slammed into the net.

All-square, City kept pushing. De Laet robbed Juan Mata and sent Vardy clear. A non-league player just a few years earlier, he wasn’t supposed to have the composure to control the ball with his midriff and slide the ball past De Gea. But he did. The crowd was in ecstasy.

Before the game was out, Vardy’s doggedness earned another penalty and Ulloa capped the win. It was the first time in Premier League history that United had been two goals up and lost.

Even now, eight years on, the 5-3 scoreline is one that sparks jubilant memories in Leicester.