In the 95th minute of Watford versus Leicester at Vicarage Road, the second leg of a Football League Championship playoff match, aggregate was stuck at 2-2. With the game heading for extra time, something extraordinary happened.
Leicester was awarded a penalty after Marco Cassetti nudged Anthony Knockaert in the penalty area, despite the light contact, and it appeared Watford’s fate was sealed.
What a cruel blow it would’ve been, but what followed was nothing short of amazing.
Former Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia showed why he was an important part of Watford’s success – not only saving the penalty with his legs, but then saving the second shot that Knockaert had on goal.
The ball was then cleared from the area, with Watford’s Fernando Forestieri racing with the ball down the sideline crossing into the penalty area, which was headed back to Troy Deeney who sent a thunderous volley into the back of the net and sent the crowd into raptures.
An unbelievable less-than-a-minute which changed the future of both clubs.
Watford now has a chance to beat Crystal Palace at Wembley and gain promotion to the English Premier League for the first time since the 2006-7 season.
Meanwhile, the loss is a body blow for Leicester, whose fortunes would be far different had the penalty been converted.
They are now resigned to the N Power League for another season.
This is the brutal reality of English football, where the possibilities are endless; you only have to look at the relegation battles that happen each year.
It is a dog fight to get out of the bottom three, with some teams not knowing until the last match whether they will be relegated or not.
In last season’s English Premier League, the champion wasn’t known until the final seconds of Manchester City’s match with Queens Park Rangers – a day filled with drama and jubilation for a team that lived in its rival’s shadow for as long as its supporters could remember.
Manchester United went to the top of the table after beating Sunderland 1-0, with QPR setting out to make life for Manchester City difficult.
In a dramatic second half QPR took a 2-1 lead in the 66th minute despite being a man down, after Joey Barton was sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez.
As the clock wound down it appeared Manchester United, who had just finished their game, would celebrate yet another successful season.
It was not to be however as Edin Dzeko equalized in the 92nd minute, with Sergio Aguero completing the great escape in the 94th minute to allow Manchester City to win their first league for 44 years.
While Australian sport has its moments, there is nothing that even compares to these magic moments during the English football seasons.
For even the biggest rugby diehard, these moments are enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.
The Pivotonian
Guest
You know St Kilda, that football club older than 19 of the 20 soccer clubs that competed in this season's EPL. Oh, and speaking of EPL comparisons, 13 of this season's EPL clubs began life under a different name than which they use today. So the story of the South Melbourne Football Club/Sydney Swans Football Club would fit right at home in any soccer history discussion. Cute post though. Cute, but ignorant.
Planet Football
Guest
St Who....? South Melbourne/Sydney Swans ....? Bit of a mouthful for the name of a team. The point size on the team's badge must be very small....
Sky Blue
Guest
If you can say nothing about the facts, complain about the tone. My point wasn't to say that no Australian sport has any emotion behind it, just in England it reaches heights constantly, heights that we can only reach a few times a year before you took unwarranted exception. Try complaining about that one.
The Pivotonian
Guest
I can't decide of which of the bottom three rungs you fell onto with that reply: http://casuallyawesome.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/stage-of-argument.jpg
Sky Blue
Guest
Get out of it you whinger. Stop trying to look for reasons to cry. Where did I say that Australian sport has never has had any emotion whatsoever? Go away and take your insignificant little game with you.
The Pivotonian
Guest
Really? What about the St Kilda Football Club supporters who have seen one premiership in 140 seasons, whom watched their team lose the 2009 AFL grand final by a kick and the previous year watched as they drew, only to be humiliated a week later. Or the South Melbourne/Sydney Swans Football Club supporters who waited 72 years for their premiership drought to be broken by under a goal. What about their emotions? I could go on...
Sky Blue
Guest
Bad choice of words for the title, Australian sport can touch on those moments but our fotball has a long way to go before we can consistently match those emotions at a league level.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Cause you're comparing ONE match to TEN?! Seems fair... ;)
The Pivotonian
Guest
Give me the "drama" of the final day of the 2012/13 EPL campaign over any Australian sport grand final...
Ballymore
Guest
I believe Setanta used to show Conference National (5th Tier)?
Ballymore
Guest
This is very similar to what occured in the MV and Perth Glory finals match. GFZ, the Watford manager was (so we read) close to taking the MVFC job at the start of last year. Weird.
cjones
Guest
The giddy heights of the championship I can only dream.
Mr Celery
Guest
Had you said that the football promotion\relegation battles around the world are exciting and left it at that you would have more respect. But to slag off at Aussie football smacks of 'Euro-snobbery', or in this case 'Pommy-snobbery'. Exciting promotion\relegation battles occur routinely in many countries, and in Australia, in most leagues outside the A-League. All would be just as exciting to those players, fans and officials as any in the top divisions of England. There is no doubting that the Premier League\Championship end of season merry-go-round is thrilling. But the only real difference is that it gets more TV coverage than other Leagues. I agree with other posters that the Roar v CCM A-League Grand Final was equal to, or even better than the Watford v Leicester match. And what about our Socceroos v Uruguay World Cup qualification match. Easily the most exciting football match I've ever been to anywhere in the world.
AL
Guest
Phew, i though I was the only one in Australia who likes to watch Champ league and low English divisions. Love the older stadiums and the football hasnt been made Corporate.
The Pivotonian
Guest
Oh I don't know, having the competition over with six weeks left goes pretty close!
Tim
Guest
No way man, nothing as exciting as AFL tanking!
Tim
Guest
Three times actually, happened in the Hull City vs Cardiff City match as well.
Towser
Guest
Sorry for the oversight ,should be Brent. Brent without going into a long winded article about the differences,from my perspective its all related to Old Country/New Country- Small country & large population/large country & small population- National focus historically/State focus historically-Industrial nation/Rural nation. Somewhat generalised but it explains much in my experience.
The Pivotonian
Guest
I'll concede that matches involving the bottom teams are more exciting in English football than Australian sports. However matches involving the top teams are generally more exciting in Australian sports than English football.
Damiano
Guest
I don't mean to cause offence, if you have a connection to these teams then more power to you. From what I've seen the quality of play is below Serie B and I'd suggest some A-League clubs would be better too. Its physical, but not very technical. Although I find that infinitely more entertaining than watching AFL, its not very appealing to me as far as watching football is concerned, who knows, I may have just seen some of the worst of it when its been on ESPN. I did see Watford have turned into Udinese B, there has been plenty of talk about this in Italy. I'm not sure if many of these kids and cast offs (Marco Cassetti) are learning much to take them back to their home clubs, they are being prepped for sale at Watford. I never rated Zola when he was in Serie A, I thought he was dreadfully overrated, but he played well at Chelsea. You've probably seen more of the football than me, so I'll bear in mind your opinion, and if I get a chance I'll watch it again.