Saddlers Memorable Matches

Walsall 8 Torquay 4 12 December 1995

This has to go down as one of the greatest FA Cup replays of all time and a scoreline that not many people would have put a bet on before the match kicked off.

Having drawn 1-1 on the south coast the match at the Bescot got off to a good start as after 14 minutes we went ahead through a strike from defender Chris Marsh.

It was 1-1 before half-time however and shortly after the break Torquay took the lead through Lee Barrow. From this point on the game went backwards and forwards as both sides shared two more goals before the referee blew for the end of normal time.

What followed was the most amazing period of extra-time possibly in the history of the FA Cup. Three minutes in and Marsh scored his second of the night to make it 4-3 and within a couple of minutes Kyle Lightbourne had made it five.

The goals kept on coming and with 97 minutes on the clock Martin O’Connor made it 6-3 before Jose Mateu pulled one back for the Gulls. As everyone tried to catch their breath a seventh was added by Scott Houghton. This was all in the first 15 minutes of extra-time. Five goals in 15 minutes- amazing.

Although the second period of extra-time didn’t quite match the first it did provide one more goal for the Saddlers with Lightbourne grabbing his second.

Possibly our most memorable game against Torquay and while 8-4 would be nice tomorrow, I’ll be perfectly happy with 1-0 and a last minute scrappy winner!