After watching tarn for 40+ years, think Cardiff was my first FA cup game in 66, I am now one match away from watching the reds do a full cup run. Didn`t ever think in those 4th div days that would ever happen.
Last-minute equaliser The Cardiff game was on-sided, with the Bluebirds having the edge right through. Gareth Williams ran the midfield for them and Ronnie Bird on the left wing just ran rings round Bob Parker - I think it was Bird who scored for Cardiff, but would need to check. I recall an amazing escape when the Reds' goal was under severest pressure, when Bluebirds centre-forward, Bobby Brown, headed the ball so hard into the rock-solid ground that the ball bounced up high enough to hit the bar before being scrambled away. Damn! I'll have to go and find the match programme now!!! I think Ray Wood was in goal. I can remember like yesterday the Reds' equaliser. The game was at least two minutes into injury time when we won a corner on the left. George Hamstead grabbed the ball and raced over to take it quickly, glancing back over his shoulder all the time for some reason. He swung in a good one, which was cleared off the Cardiff line by a defender. The ball then fell straight to Barrie Thomas, who was already showing evidence of the injury which was ultimately to end his career. With a good shout from Johnny Evans behind him, Thomas let the ball go through his legs and Evans followed through to put the ball in the net. I then recall Evans racing back to gee-up Bob Parker with the intention of telling him to stop Ronnie Bird at all costs - only to be interrupted by the referee's final whistle. I recall Evans looking back towards the Cardiff penalty area, where the referee was standing and the players going back towards the ref. The players had the same problem as the fans - no one was certain that the goal had been scored before, or after the final whistle. We only knew for sure when the tannoy announcement said the replay would be the week after next at Ninian Park - then the celebrations could start. A last-kick equaliser!!
Unsure will have to get programmes out of storage. But the Cardiff game always sticks in my mind for Johnny Evans last kick equaliser had to have it confirmed by looking for results on tv when we got home.
The Port Vale match was of the worst kind as a home supporter. Vale had ten men behind the ball and kicked everything that moved. It was total frustration for the Reds and the sort of game when you had to be patient. If the players started to show their fristration, they would panic and succomb to Vale's strong-arm tactics. Vale took the lead with amongst the most bizarre free-kicks I have ever seen. They conned the direct free-kick just outside the Reds' penalty area - middle left. Jackie Mudie squared up the ball and took the kick. Just after the ball had been kicked and whilst it was in mid-air, the referee blew his whistle. Ray Wood seemed to hesitate and the ball dropped into the left side of his goal. Cue great protestatins from the Reds' defenders, but the referee allowed the goal to stand - truly odd. Had the whistle been from the crowd? I didn't think so at the time! The equaliser came after patient, but relentless pressure from the Reds, with Dick Hewitt (from Moorthorpe!!) slotting in when finding space to the left of the penalty area. I recall the match being reported in the Guardian and the headline was 'Hewitt wins top marks at Oakwell.' The writer claimed that he was the best wing-half he had seen all season and the rumours of a big money move to the likes of Plymouth Argyle were soon spreading. In the event Hewitt stayed at Oakwell, eventually realising a 'small-change' move to York City - strange how fortnes change! Man of the match that day was Vale keeper Stuart Sharratt - amongst the best individual performances by a goalkeeper I have ever seen - he was like a piece of human elastic that day and made save after save out of the tp drawer - former PE teacher trained at Alsager College. I wonder if he went into teaching after finishing playing! I can still recall some of the blinding saves he made that day. Did do him much good in the replay as Reds won 3-1. Although my records don't say so, I am sure that we played Barry Swallow as an emergency centre-forward in the Vale Park match as Thomas' injury was starting to reveal itself. Evans and Bettany snapped at the Vale heels all night and they couldn't play the blanket defence style any more. Happy days - if ones of relative poverty. 13,000 at the home game!
