A filthy afternoon in the winter of 1984 and York City sparkled amidst the November rains to record their biggest score in two decades.
A filthy afternoon in the winter of 1984 and York City sparkled amidst the November rains to record their biggest score in two decades as they hammered Gillingham 7-1.
Keith Houchen led their charge with a hat-trick as his side returned to form following a dismal run that had brought them only one point from fifteen and seen them slump from the top of the third division and down into eighth place.
That had in turn resulted in the smallest attendance of the season at Bootham Crescent, where a thick and muddy playing surface was heavily waterlogged in areas.
But that wasn’t about to hold back the rampant Minstermen and within six minutes of the game kicking-off they had already surged into a commanding two-nil lead.
First Houchen took advantage of fine work from midfield terrier Sean Haslegrave and headed home a cross from the right delivered by Keith Walwyn.
Moments later and York’s legendary striker Walwyn was surging down the opposite flank onto a Derek Hood pass and supplying winger Alan Pearce to fire home with his weaker right foot.
York pressed for more and only a couple of fine saves by Gills keeper David Fry kept out chief danger man Walwyn and supporting midfielder Hood.
To their credit Gillingham tried to respond and almost reduced the deficit when Keith Oakes rattled the crossbar with home keeper Roger Jones well beaten.
Walwyn then proceeded to miss an open goal at the opposite end before the same player proved the creative source again as he marauded down the right and set-up Houchen for his second goal of the afternoon on the half-hour.
The conditions were helping maintain a thrilling encounter and Gills striker Dave Shearer was denied by a great save from Jones before Tony Cascarino shot narrowly wide for the visitors.
However, Walwyn blasted in a fourth for the home side four minutes before the break after central defender Ricky Sbragia had knocked on a Gary Ford corner.
And it could even have been five when Fry excelled to stop Houchen claiming his hat-trick right on the stroke of half-time.
Six minutes after the resumption and York struck their best goal of the contest as Houchen released Ford to cross to the far post and Pearce smashed the ball home on the volley.
Within a couple of minutes the visitors managed what proved only scant consolation when Shearer drilled home a low shot from the edge of the box.
York’s reply witnessed Walwyn spurning another glorious opportunity before Pearce raced down the left and his cross was turned into his own net by Oakes.
Walwyn was still bustling and proving his usual handful as he had another goal ruled out, until it was left to Hood to send Houchen away to complete his treble and make it a magnificent seven inside the final ten minutes.
York City: Jones, Evans, Hay, Sbragia, MacPhail, Hood, Ford, Haslegrave, Walwyn, Houchen, Pearce
Goals: Houchen (3), Pearce (2), Walwyn, Oakes (OG)
Gillingham: Fry, Leslie, Sage, Oakes, Weatherly, Shaw, Shearer, Johnson, Robinson, Mehmet, Cascarino
Goals: Shearer
Ref: K. Walmsley (Blackpool)
Att: 2,921
