Great Come Backs of the past

[jonnyfive]

One for me that will always stick in the mind was a comeback of sorts, after we had been the subject of a monumental comeback from the opposition.

Histon away, first year in the BSP. A tuesday night in September, kick off delayed due to traffic carnage on the A14.

We started brightly and dominated the first half. Goals from Sills, Phillips (I think) and Darren Mullings put us 3-0 up. But Histon were kicking lumps out of us - this was before they got known for it - and by half time we'd lost both Phillips and Chris Robertson to injury.

Second half they pull two goals back in quick succession to make it 3-2. Then Benyon is tripped in the box, Zebs puts the penalty away to make it 4-2. Then Mullings gets sent off and we're down to 10 men.

On 82nd and 88th minutes, Histon get two suspect penalties which are both converted and its 4-4. Down and out, the gulls make one last foray forward which is cynically ended by the Histon centre half. They get reduced to 10 men, and we have one last opportunity to snatch it. Nico rolls the free-kick wide to Bedeau, who takes a touch and crosses it into the packed Histon box. It was an awful cross, which missed everyone apart from Chris Todd at the back post. He takes a first touch further than I can kick a ball, swivels like an oil tanker and punts it with everything he's got. From the away end at Histon its impossible to see the goal-line, so the next thing I know is I see the back of the net ripple and a couple of hundred Gulls fans (and 10men on the pitch) go bezerk.

It was one of the most breathless, bizarre games of football I've ever seen and I think for the 10 battered and bruised lads in yellow to pick themselves up from blowing a 3-0 lead to score a last minute 5-4 win is worthy of a mention

A magnificent evening that summed up the heady Conference seasons. As a partial bystander, I was 1 million % convinced that the ref was helping little old Histon out with those penalties. My dodgy memory tells me that both were ball-to-hand; in truth it was probably only one of them. But how wonderfully gratifying it is when a cheating or incompetent ref has his plan ruined.

[dazgull]

Easter Monday - 2000.

Pouring with rain (and I mean pouring) - Plainmoor was a mudbath.
We were playing Macclesfield and went down to an early goal in or around the 10th minute before Tony Bedeau equalised. A minute later and Maccy had the ball in the back of the net once more. It really did feel like it was going to be one of those days. Lots of huffing and puffing, but not much joy in front of goal. I remember that we had Hill, Chrissy Brandon (remember him?!) and Brian Healy (remember him?!) in midfield and indeed it was Healy who got the equaliser for us 10 minutes before time by way of a penalty.
I was happy with a point at that time - money fairly well spent (I had got the train from London that day as I was studying in Kent for a few months) and, had been a fairly entertaining game.
Cue super sub Eifion Williams who, in the last minute, in the middle of a goalmouth scramble, in the pissing rain, in the mudbath that was the six yard box, stuck out a right foot and ensured the ball ever so slowly (painfully slow in fact) trickled over the goal line.
Cue delirium in the Popside, family stand and grandstand as well as on the pitch. Nobody cared that it was the sloppiest of finishes ever. Nobody cared that we had left it so late.

We had won.

Can remember that and Macc are the team i saw come back from 3 down oto draw at their place about ten years ago. We were 3 up in TEN minutes (graham, woozley, fowler) and all in the away end thought we were going to have a massive win but from then on macc had more of the play and got one back before half time before two goals in last 10mins gave them a draw they deserved in the end. funniest thing that day was a few of our supporters who missed the 3 goals. obviously had an extra pint and thought they wouldnt miss anything....!!