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| Heartbreak at the Hawthorns |
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| Paul Groves heads home for the Brewers - just a minute into the Trophy Final replay at the Hawthorns, but the celebrations are shortlived - the goal is disallowed |
| If the match at Wembley was a great day out for Albion fans, the replay at West Bromwich the following Tuesday was even better in terms of drama, excitement and atmosphere. Although there were less people watching than at Wembley, the closer confines of the Hawthorns on a damp spring evening made for a much more intense atmosphere, as the Brewers fans out-numbered, and outsung Harriers followers in West Brom's biggest crowd of that season - 15,685. |
The replay also
had what was missing at Wembley - goals. Albion were the first to find the
net - and some specatators were still finding their seats after the kick-off
was delayed for fifteen minutes due to crowd congestion, when Paul Groves
headed into the Kidderminster net, but was adjudged to have fouled Harriers
defender Kevin Collins - a future Brewer, and one of several playing in the
two matches who would switch between the two clubs in the following years. |
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| However, luck
was on the side of the Conference team, as was evident by their first goal.
Striker Paul Davies' low shot took a cruel deflection off Alan Kamara to
leave Albion keeper Martin New rooted to his goalline, and give Kidderminster
a half-time lead. Albion came out in the second half attacking the Birmingham Road Kop, where their supporters were massed, and, roared on by the travelling army, continued to play out of their skins in a thrilling contest of end to end football. But all their possession could not produce the goal they strived so hard for, and the Brewers' hard work seemed to have been in vain, when Harriers made it 2-0 on 78 minutes, Davies again the scorer. |
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| Paul Davies fires Harriers in front on the half hour, with a bit of help from a deflection off Alan Kamara (left). Steve Essex (centre) watches on helplessly |
| Far from being disheartened though, Brian Fidler's team simply dug even deeper into their reserves of determination and spirit, and within a minute they were back in the game - Paul Groves leaping above Harriers' tiring defence to head in a cross from skipper David Vaughan. |
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| Albion had conceded a second goal just a minute before, and looked dead and buried, when Paul Groves headed this goal to send the game into a nerve-jangling last ten minutes |
| Harriers were
stung into immediate response, as a rollercoaster ride of a game reached
a thrilling climax. Star striker Kim Casey had a goal disallowed, and Paul
Davies came close to scoring a third, but the climactic moment of the night
was to come at the other end of the field. With just four minutes left on
the clock, Kidderminster defender Graham McKenzie handled inside his own
area from another Groves header, and, to the jubilation of the Albion fans,
the referee awarded a penalty. Another thirty minutes of extra-time looked inevitable now as Paul Bancroft, influential throughout both games, and an assured penalty-taker all season, stepped up to place the ball on the spot. The tension was almost unbearable as the Brewers' fans packed in behind the goal, willed their man to score. But, football being the cruel game that it is sometimes, Harriers keeper Arnold guessed correctly which way Bancroft would shoot, and got down to tip the Brewers midfielder's kick round his right-hand post. |
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| Agony for Albion, and especially Paul Bancroft, as he suffers one of those moments footballers dread. The celebrations of the Brewers fans turn to despair as Kidderminster 'keeper Jim Arnold saves the spot-kick, with four minutes left on the clock, to win the Trophy for Harriers |
| There was no
way back now, and for all their Herculean efforts, the Brewers were
not blessed with the kind of luck a team needs to win trophies. As three
and a half utterly absorbing hours of football reached its final seconds,
the heavens opened. The Albion fans were now calling for the game to be postponed
- maybe God was on their side after all! No such luck. The referee's whistle
blew, and the Trophy was Kidderminster's. At the final whistle there was despair for the eleven Albion heroes, especially for a tearful Paul Bancroft. But for the Albion fans, the result barely mattered - the Brewers' performance had done them proud, and there were emotional scenes after the match. Harriers lifted the Trophy but Albion voices were still singing loud and proud, as the brave Brewers received the acclaim of the whole stadium, taking part in a deserved lap of honour. Beaten they might have been, but the manner of their defeat made them heroes in the memories of Albion fans, who even today - nearly 15 years on - must agree - "This was their finest hour". |
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Albion's
beaten heroes - a shattered Paul Bancroft second left in the front row. Full team (Back row, l-r): Brian Fidler (manager), Dave Redfern, Dave Wood, Paul Groves, Alan Kamara, Nigel Simms, Clive Patterson, Bob Gauden Front row (l-r): Steve Essex, Paul Bancroft, David Vaughan, Neil Dorsett, Gil Land, Martin New, Phil Mullholland (physio) |
| Brian
Fidler - Albion manager: "After Saturday's game at Wembley I thought this was our year, but it wasn't to be. The lad Davies got away from Steve Essex twice in the whole game and made the opportunities count. All credit to him - that's what he's paid for. "We had our chances in the second half but we couldn't make our pressure tell at the crucial time. Overall we were the better side in both games. |
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| "I don't think
anyone would dispute that, but this game is all about taking the opportunities
that come your way." "I went straight up to Paul (Bancroft) and told him not to worry about the penalty. He's got a decade of football in front of him and he's got many more nights of glory to come. |
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"I feel nothing but
disappointment for the players and for our fantastic fans. They were unbelievable
at Wembley but they were evn better tonight. I don't think a top Second Division
club in the play-offs will get the level of support we had tonight. |
| The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, Tuesday 12th May 1987 | ||
FA Trophy Final - replay |
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| Burton Albion | 1-2 | Kidderminster Harriers |
| Groves | Davies (2) | |
Attendance: 15,685 |
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| Albion | Harriers | |
| Martin New | 1 | Jim Arnold |
| Alan Kamara | 2 | John Barton |
| Nigel Simms | 3 | Kevin Collins |
| David Vaughan (c) | 4 | Clive Boxall |
| Steve
Essex |
5 |
Colin Brazier (Hazelwood 62) |
| Gil Land | 6 | Martin Woodall |
| Paul Groves | 7 | Graham McKenzie (c) |
| Paul Bancroft | 8 | Kim Casey |
| Bob Gauden | 9 | Paul Davies |
| Dave Redfern (Wood 70) | 10 | Mick Tuohy |
| Neil Dorsett | 11 | Adrian O'Dowd |
| Dave Wood | 12 | Malcolm Hazlewood |
| Clive Patterson | 14 | Jon Pearson |
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