In the latest of his regular columns, Hillary Street-Ender takes a look back at the Saddlers' dramatic Johnstone's Paint Trophy Area Semi-Final victory over Tranmere Rovers, which saw the Red's come back from 2-0 down at half-time to defeat their hosts 4-5 on sudden death penalties.
So, have we all calmed down yet? Have our fingernails begun to grow back? Have we done anything other than dream of Wembley since Tuesday night? No? Me neither. You feel so helpless during a penalty shoot-out, all you can do is watch the drama unfold. You can hardly bear to look but you can’t not look. Every time the other team stick away one of their kicks the tension is ramped up a notch and becomes truly agonising, which is pretty much how the first half of the actual game had been. We attacked, we – wait for it – created chances and had shots on target, but we couldn’t get the ball into the onion bag. Then Rovers got one and then Rovers got another after out-playing us in the twenty minutes leading up to the break. At that point things really didn’t look good and we knew a third Rovers goal would probably finally see us off. Even without that we were left needing to score two goals and how often do we manage that? Minimum requirement early in the second half was not to concede again, with the home side going all-out to finish us, and a third goal for Rovers never came. We began to check how long was left very early in the half, constantly telling ourselves that there was plenty of time if we could just begin to get a grip on proceedings. Then came that glorious, defence-splitting pass from Purkiss and Forde was free in the area with no-one up in support. Normally in these circumstances the ball would be held up or played back but not this time. Forde checked inside a defender and, with Fon Williams probably expecting a cross-shot, rifled the ball inside the near post to change the balance of the tie in an instant and to ensure that he’s now officially forgiven for his spell with the Custard Bowl Boys.
From that moment on it felt inevitable that we would equalise but bums began to squeak as we approached the final ten minutes. The equation was simple; score again and we might take a step closer to Wembley, don’t and we won’t. The substitution of big Mathieu for Jimmy Bax had given the home defence a different threat to deal with and maybe it was the paying of extra attention to the big man that accounted for Michael Cain popping up, unmarked, just outside the area to blast in the equaliser via a post. This was his first senior goal and I would imagine not a lot of people would have known that as they went just that bit more barmy than normal. People hugged each other and then bayed for a winner as play got underway again. Rovers had the ball in the net but Odejayi was pulled up for offside for the seventy third time that evening and Bradshaw seemed to stumble slightly as he shot wide from a golden chance in the dying moments. The final whistle sounded and the comeback was complete. We’d shown massive resolve and bouncebackability during the second half so penalties it was to be and this was where bums started to squeak in earnest. To do credit to the drama of a shoot-out the narrative skills and Shakesperean phrasing and wordplay of a Stuart Hall are needed – or they would be if he wasn’t locked up – but all we could do was to look through the gaps between our fingers as the teams convened in the centre circle, every bit as nervous as us. The first five kicks were pretty routine and all found their target without too much bother but then up stepped Grimes, not looking too confident, and that old sinking feeling set it as Fon Williams saved. Our atrocious record in shoot-outs in recent years came to mind as we became reliant on Rovers making a mistake. Both fourth kicks went in leaving Ridehalgh the task of knocking us out. O’Donnell went the wrong way as the ball smacked against the bar and as we went loopy. Mathieu, if you miss this we’re out but we don’t want you to feel pressured. He looked the coolest person inside Prenton Park as he nonchalantly strode up and scored. Down to sudden death but the whole shoot-out had felt like a slow death anyway, so what the hell. Then came the moment after which O’Donnell can do no wrong as he went full-length to his right to keep out Laird’s kick, meaning if our next attempt went in we’d be through. At a time like this you don’t necessarily want to see your centre-half walking forward but huge credit is due to Downing for shouldering the responsibility and even more so for tucking the ball away in such a situation. In it went, to pandemonium in the away end as our thoughts turned to the Steel Arch.
Deano now has a job and a half to keep the players minds off the area final for the next few weeks but he won’t keep our minds off it as we daydream of what’s now so tantalisingly close. Wembley appearances have always been for other clubs but it could now, finally, be our turn. I can’t recall wanting anything quite as much.
By: Hillary Street-Ender.