My favourite Hourihane moment was away at Sheff Utd in a shockingly boring 0-0, a couple of games before we demolished Wigan 4-1. A young Sheff Utd lad bit off a lot more than he could chew when he tapped the ball round Conor and almost created the only chance of the game. Conor just booted him up in the air. No attempt to get the ball at all, someone had got round him and that wasn't allowed, so he was launched into orbit. We've missed that so much. You and I went to Athersley Rec earlier that season to listen to Ben and Lee, and we both, independently, said we were going to be alright. I think it's fair to say we weren't popular at that time. After the Millwall final about 30 of us had a curry in Wembley, best meal I've had in my life, I must have drunk 30 shorts on top of the beers we'd had all day. And it was all paid for by a bet that was placed in January that we would win promotion and the JPT. Best season I've ever watched and some of the best times of my life. Brownhill and Hourihane in central midfield in League 1 - that central midfield pairing were better than all but the top 5 or 6 in the Premier League.
And what we never seem to talk about in that match, is whether their keeper took summat lol. Look at his dying swan act, when flipping down and letting our weak stoppage time header go in!. Superb!!.
Aside from having Isgrove and Hammill either side of those two, we also had Scowen in that midfield, and Watkins would occasionally play wide too. What a team! But as you say Brownhill and Hourihane were undroppable, hence Scowen getting slotted in at right back when he got fit again.
I listened to that one on Radio Sheff, and Derrick Parker, commentating just calmly said ‘Conor’s just taken one for the team’ like it was nothing. Then I saw the highlights and he really did just hoof the lad. Win at all cost mentality. Love it.
Ivan Toney couldn't get in the team. We have never been, not under Dannyy Wilson, not under Hunter or Clarke, so much better than everyone else than we were that season. We went down to Wembley to watch us beat Millwall, without a single second of doubt that the win was already in the pocket. We were head and shoulders above everyone else. There's a great camera shot in the tunnel in the Walsall play-off game at their place. The Walsall team are dancing about on their toes, looking up at the Colossuses that tower over them, who are stood stock still because the Barnsley team know they're going to win and Walsall know they're going to lose.