A summit third division meeting between York City and Bristol Rovers at Bootham Crescent had a truly dramatic and thrilling finish in March 1974.
A summit third division meeting between York City and Bristol Rovers in front of more than eleven thousand excited fans at Bootham Crescent had a truly dramatic and thrilling finish in March 1974.
Rovers were the team to beat for most of that season and actually led the table with York chasing hard on their heels in second place as the two sides kicked-off in blustery conditions.
The contest could actually have been billed as a clash between two outstanding attacks and a couple of mean defences, and it was York who threatened first when Chris Jones drove an early effort wide before his co-striker Jimmy Seal headed narrowly over the crossbar.
Visiting goalkeeper Jim Eadie then denied the dangerous Jones as York continued to press forward backed by an enthusiastic and noisy following, while winger Kenny Stephens only just failed to locate lively Rovers striker Bruce Bannister – missing on this occasion his usual partner Alan Warboys.
Perhaps that one of the reasons why resolute defences continued to prevail as the first-half remained scoreless, although York had an early escape in the second-half when right-back John Stone was forced to head off the line from veteran winger Colin Dobson.
That proved crucial and it was the home side who forged ahead on 52 minutes as the brilliant Ian Holmes cruised down the left, and with three opponents trailing crossed low for Jones to blast into the roof of the net from close-range.
But the visitors were a mightily resilient outfit and replied with Frank Prince having a 25-yard effort well saved by Graeme Crawford. Dave Staniforth then raced away before being thwarted by a tremendous last-ditch challenge from home left-back Phil Burrows.
York were again on the defensive as Stone crucially blocked from Staniforth until the action switched towards the opposite end for the magnificent Holmes to crash a fierce shot against the woodwork.
An already thrilling encounter then flared on 81 minutes when Rovers’ volatile little striker Bannister was sent-off for retaliation after being fouled by Chris Topping.
But even with their numbers reduced the determined visitors rallied and equalised with only five minutes remaining when Stephens’ rather speculative attempt caught the wind and sneaked inside the far post.
However, magnificent York still weren’t finished and right-winger Barry Lyons forced a tremendous save from Eadie before his side dramatically snatched a winner in the fifth-minute of injury-time after midfielder John Woodward went down inside the area.
Rovers were clearly incensed at the verdict and the already cautioned Stephens argued long and hard before being dismissed.
And from the last kick of the game it appropriately fell to the wonderful Holmes to calmly convert from the spot and fuel wild celebrations from the delighted home faithful in a bumper attendance.
York City: Crawford, Stone, Burrows, Holmes, Swallow, Topping, Lyons, Calvert, Seal, Jones, Woodward
Goals: Jones (52), Holmes (pen 90)
Bristol Rovers: Eadie, Jacobs, Aitken, Green, Taylor, Prince, Stephens, Stanton, Staniforth, Bannister, Dobson
Goals: Stephens (85)
Ref: J. Whalley (Southport)
Att: 11,066
