The Fireworks Burst and Buffs Sparkle
NB: Long report below, skip to the end for pics.
Buffs FC faced a better quality level 6 side in the Cup having lost the first leg 3-1 at home.
Buffs Mad had considered the options: try to hold out and go for it later or go for it and hope for a position where they could then hold out. He wavered and faltered but eventually settled on the latter. Buffs Mad hoped that dreams would come true but all he expected was bravery from his charges.
So, with the opposition setting up offensively Buffs Mad would be brave too. He matched up his 3 best defenders against the opponents triple-threat strikeforce and thought "We might just get everything our way....might." The rest was easy, Buffs would match the 2 central midfielders with 2 of their own and add a 3rd in the middle motivated to support the forward line. Two wingers would provide width and a flanking attack and a lone striker would probe and hold and hope for the best. Ultimately if the defence held there was a chance, if it failed then Buffs Mad would reach for his book of excuses and be ready for the flack. Buffs had to attack.
Buffs kicked off and retained possession well. They huffed and puffed on the flanks but were repelled on the edge of the box. It would take a mistake to unlock this defence, and the mistake came on 9 minutes when Baxter was hauled down. McStay thought "be brave" and he was, as his direct strike went in off the back post. 1-0, 2 more needed.
Buffs hearts were in their mouths on 12 minutes when a break put the home side through but the shot was bundled out. The corner came in and McLeish put it behind again. Things never look good when pressure results in a double corner but McGregor covered his box to claim the cross. It was Deja vu on 15 minutes when again Baxter cut in and again his speed forced the error - down he tumbled. McStay took no run up, feinting the flicked cross and then floated it over the wall in at the near post. Goal and 2-0.
Buffs Mad said to assistant Otto Teem, that boy might just be the key to this match. That's 31 goals he's scored in 36 matches - from midfield! The opposition defence must've thought the same. With harmless possession for McStay in the middle suddenly he went down under an innocuous challenge. Buffs Mad saw differently. "Stamp, a stamp!" he bellowed as he willed for McStay to rise. Souness kicked the ball out - clearly worried. Rise? It wasn't going to happen, a broken foot was the diagnosis. The Buffs looked to the ref, a card wasn't going to happen either. Bremner was rushed on as the stretcher carried McStay off.
"That's a game-changer" thought Buffs Mad and on 24 minutes pressure from the home side was valiantly defended by the Buffs rearguard at the expense of a corner. Nicol had the cross covered but faltered and the home side's striker stole in in front of him and bulleted home a header. Buffs absorbed a lot of pressure in the remainder of the half with just one counter-attack from themselves - but McLeish was commanding in defence and not only was he imperious in his own role but he was effective in covering the backs of Nicol & Gough too, who veered from steady to shaky, from one moment to the next. In they went at half time - Blues FC 1 Buffs FC 2.
Buffs Mad rallied the squad to the cause. "Be brave" was the continuing message. "Let's tighten at the back, let's defend with precision - if we blunt their attack and keep concentration then we have the firepower to cause more problems." "Another goal will give us a chance" he thought, "but if we can steal 2 then the difference is huge and we can do it."
Blues FC restarted and went on the attack. Gough stepped in a cleared the danger. Blues pressed again and Nicol stood firm and the ball was cleared. All the time McLeish was talking, animated, encouraging and putting his head to everything. Relief came 5 mins in with a frew kick to the Buffs at a distance. McLeish stepped up and narrowly dragged it wide - but it broke the momentum. Buffs midfield began to exert control. On the 62nd minute Willie Henderson was released on the right. Wee Willie sent in the cross, it looked long, until Baxter ghosted in at the back and headed home. 3-1 and the tie was all square on aggregate. Buffs Mad whispered to himself "One more goal will have double the worth - they'd never come back. Just one more."
It was Baxter's turn to dance into space on the right but he was forced wide and his deflected cross went out. McLeish saw the jostling at the front and back posts and instead floated an inviting ball towards the penalty spot. Party-loving Souness had never declined an invitation yet and leapt and twisted to volley home. That was the 3 goal lead Buffs Mad dreamt of and the precious 4th away goal. But, in all the excitement Buffs Mad had forgotten to ready the subs. Bremner was ordered back into a 4-man defence, the wingers withdrawn to midfield and Law left alone up front.
A wave of pressure nearly engulfed the Buffs but McLeish marshalled his colleagues. Only a long ball out relieved the pressure. McGrain was now ready to come on for Bremner at right back as Law held the ball up. The crowd waited for Law to put it out and allow the switch, but the Lawman was defiant and turned his marker, then down he went. A FK but no booking - it was the softest of awards but the most welcome. McLeish could blast it out and the change would be made - and blast it he did, right into the top corner. The Buffs Barmy Army went wild. They had dared to dream but this was beyond that. 5-1 and 24 minutes left. Surely Buffs were home and hosed.
The Blues seemed incensed. The Buffs were upstarts, this wasn't in the script, they were just jumped up pantry boys who never knew their place. ;) The Buffs relaxed momentarily and soon paid the price. A neat 1-2 sent the Blues striker clear and the Buffs fans were silenced as he stroked home. But the Barmy Army rose again. They roared. 18 minutes left. And the Buffs, carried along on a wall of sound, took control once more. They were harried and pressed but held on to the ball. The Blues broke but were blunted, dived in but were sidestepped and bullied but were brushed off. Buffs were killing the game. The last action was Johnstone coming on for Henderson in 88 minutes. Then the final whistle came.
The Buffs players danced and hugged, the visiting fans roared & careered and in the midst Buffs Mad stood still, absorbing the moment. Otto Teem shook him. Buffs Mad turned and said "Don't you just love it when a plan comes together" then smiled and lost the plot. This was his finest hour. Triumph beyond hope. He went crazy hoping that such uncontrolled joy would reinforce the memory. There would be no silverware, yet, but this time was to be cherished. And Buffs Mad lived it, felt it and tucked it away.
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