2015: Swindon 5-5 Sheffield United (Swindon won 7-6 on aggregate)

[Swannyblade]

BBC running a page on memorable play-off games today:

EFL play-offs: Relive some of the most memorable games

On the weekend this season's EFL play-offs should have been completed, BBC Sport looks back at some of the most dramatic games.

www.bbc.co.uk

Warning: Contains unnecessary pic of Steve Simonsen

I don't think I appreciated just how bonkers this game was at the time.
After Swindon went 3-0 up, I'd given up hope for a team I didn't have much affinity for in the first place.
The flurry of Blades goals then caused me to lose count.
By stopping time, I remember literally being on the floor praying for another to get through to extra time.
Butterfly effect and all that - it's probably best we didn't reach the final and go up with that team because we wouldn't have had Wilder and all that came with it.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

The contributing factor to the defensive mare we witnessed could be traced to the state of our defence at the time: Freeman (yet to really show any of his true potential), Harris (already on the slide) and then to complete our 4 full-backs, the central-defence pairing of McEveley and Alcock. It says it all re: Clough’s planning that culminated in that game that the only recognised centre-back in the matchday squad, McGahey, was on the bench due to him being considered too shit to start ahead of that shambles of a centre-back pairing.

It’s a game that when you look at the score other fans must think “oh that must have been brilliant entertainment”. Yes, you’d have thought so...

 

[Beans]

The only game I've ever been to where I genuinely couldn't remember the score at times.

As wild as the game was, I never really felt like we were in with a proper shout until Adams made it 7-6 on aggregate with a few minutes left - all the other times we were just getting back to within 2 goals instead of 1. Very weird to see 5 United goals in one game and barely celebrate any of them.

 

[Swannyblade]

The only game I've ever been to where I genuinely couldn't remember the score at times.

As wild as the game was, I never really felt like we were in with a proper shout until Adams made it 7-6 on aggregate with a few minutes left - all the other times we were just getting back to within 2 goals instead of 1. Very weird to see 5 United goals in one game and barely celebrate any of them.

Completely agree with that.
I don't think the scoreline reflects the story of the game. There weren't constant swings of momentum - Swindon for the most part held a cushion of two or more goals so I felt like we weren't in the tie.
It wasn't until the the added time board went up with 9mins that I finally thought we had a chance...but even then, I knew we didn't deserve it.
Swindon were an average side (as shown in the final) but we were a bit of shambles really and limped into the play-offs in a poor division.

* Still seems weird that Coutts, Bash and Freeman were in the side though

 

[Beans]

It wasn't until the the added time board went up with 9mins that I finally thought we had a chance...but even then, I knew we didn't deserve it.
Swindon were an average side (as shown in the final) but we were a bit of shambles really and limped into the play-offs in a poor division.

This is a great point. This and the Yeovil defeats are easily the least-gutting playoff defeats I've experienced - it was painfully obvious we just weren't very good both times. I remember being more pissed off at the taunting Swindon fans on the pitch at full time than the actual game itself (apart from the first 18 minutes which were beyond infurating).

 

[bartman]

The only game I've ever been to where I genuinely couldn't remember the score at times.

As wild as the game was, I never really felt like we were in with a proper shout until Adams made it 7-6 on aggregate with a few minutes left - all the other times we were just getting back to within 2 goals instead of 1. Very weird to see 5 United goals in one game and barely celebrate any of them.

Adams also had, (what appeared to be from the away stand) a good goal disallowed in injury time which would have drawn us level

A bizarre game to be at . Swindon were panicking at the end as they couldn't cope with Adams. Another 5 minutes and we would have got another.

Pitch invasion after and they came over to the away fans. It's fair to say that they didn't get a good reaction

 

[Swannyblade]

This is a great point. This and the Yeovil defeats are easily the least-gutting playoff defeats I've experienced - it was painfully obvious we just weren't very good both times. I remember being more pissed off at the taunting Swindon fans on the pitch at full time than the actual game itself (apart from the first 18 minutes which were beyond infurating).

Without wishing to sound too much like our arrogant neighbours, in both of those play-off campaigns I felt like we were there by default just because the division was so poor and we had enough reasonable quality players to sneak in despite our lack of tactics, style and mentality.
I remember feeling slightly disappointed after Yeovil, but also genuinely pleased for them because they deserved it more than us. Bizarre really, but I think it demonstrates the level of apathy I was feeling towards the Blades at that time. This apathy would evolve to anger during the Adkins era.

 

[Gimli]

Surprised this game made the cut and the Forest game didn’t.

The Swindon game was just a game full of goals - was it actually close? Not really, I never thought wed get back into it - every goal seemed to be a consolation and in truth we were poor and the standard wasn’t fantastic.

The Forest game though, this had everything - genuine quality on both teams, momentum swings, fantastic goals, extra time, a great fight back, then the nerves when page put in his own net with a few minutes to go that it could swing again in Forest’s favour.

That game for me has to be up there.

The Swindon game? Meh.

 

[BushBlade]

Full match report.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/32588776

Stats are surprising.

 

[8lade]

Well....I've just watched the highlights and ok. So then I watched the highlights of the first leg, fuckin hell I'm surprised the ref let us have the first goal! He disallowed everything else we did right, had he been paid off? Yes I agree we weren't great we missed loads of chances but still...

 

[pommpey]

Foundations for that catastrophic defensive display were (obviously) made in the first leg. We practically served their second goal to them on a plate.

Yes, we were shit back then. People blame Clough, but if you have capable players surrounded by a squad stuffed full of low-rent never-weres then you'll get bummed out of any promotion contention by the likes of a pretty shallow Swindon or Yeovil team.

pommpey

 

[Addison]

The contributing factor to the defensive mare we witnessed could be traced to the state of our defence at the time: Freeman (yet to really show any of his true potential), Harris (already on the slide) and then to complete our 4 full-backs, the central-defence pairing of McEveley and Alcock. It says it all re: Clough’s planning that culminated in that game that the only recognised centre-back in the matchday squad, McGahey, was on the bench due to him being considered too shit to start ahead of that shambles of a centre-back pairing.

It’s a game that when you look at the score other fans must think “oh that must have been brilliant entertainment”. Yes, you’d have thought so...

Remember being in the local pub with the missus Landlord was a Blade. After the first leg no show I'd lost enthusiasm. As the teams were announced disbelief in the Pub that Mr Disaster McEveley and Mr Midget Alcock were in the centre of defence. Yes McGahey was shit but he did play there and of course we'd had a centre half for months frozen out in the reserves called Collins. 3-0 after 18 minutes seen enough and took the missus Home. Made the mistake of turning the radio on again and Basham scores. They say its 3-2 and realise I'd missed the own goal while going Home. Rushed back to the pub but as others have said we never looked like we were in the game until the last 5 minutes.

Adams made a difference but the stats hide the true story we'd lost the game before we kicked off with yet another bizarre centre half pairing from Clough. He'd lost the plot at the beginning of the season with his centre half selection against Bristol City and had learnt nothing over the course of the next 50 plus games. His fate was sealed in the following pre season when he made another ridiculous centre half move and tried to bring his mate serial sick note Shaun Barker to the Club, that was presumably the final straw for the Board.

Maybe after getting a kicking as a forward Clough just didn't like centre backs because he hadn't a clue how to select the right ones.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Remember being in the local pub with the missus Landlord was a Blade. After the first leg no show I'd lost enthusiasm. As the teams were announced disbelief in the Pub that Mr Disaster McEveley and Mr Midget Alcock were in the centre of defence. Yes McGahey was shit but he did play there and of course we'd had a centre half for months frozen out in the reserves called Collins. 3-0 after 18 minutes seen enough and took the missus Home. Made the mistake of turning the radio on again and Basham scores. They say its 3-2 and realise I'd missed the own goal while going Home. Rushed back to the pub but as others have said we never looked like we were in the game until the last 5 minutes.

Adams made a difference but the stats hide the true story we'd lost the game before we kicked off with yet another bizarre centre half pairing from Clough. He'd lost the plot at the beginning of the season with his centre half selection against Bristol City and had learnt nothing over the course of the next 50 plus games. His fate was sealed in the following pre season when he made another ridiculous centre half move and tried to bring his mate serial sick note Shaun Barker to the Club, that was presumably the final straw for the Board.

Maybe after getting a kicking as a forward Clough just didn't like centre backs because he hadn't a clue how to select the right ones.

Clough’s season of centre-backs in review:

• Signs Andy Butler and Harrison McGahey
• Sells Harry Maguire (nothing he could do there)
• Pairs inexperienced McGahey alongside full-back Craig Alcock, with Collins on the bench
• Butler appears in the cup, scores, but oddly not in the squad for the league – rumours of fallout, immediately loaned to Walsall
• Paddy McCarthy loaned, is generally appalling
• McEveley moves from left-back to CB after another fallout with Collins. McCarthy/McEveley now the pairing.
• Butler returns from Walsall, immediately loaned to Donny Rovers
• As McCarthy leaves, Terry Kennedy comes in, effective though clearly not fit
• Basham moved to CB for first time of the season at Spurs
• Basham and Kennedy get one game together vs Swindon – a solid clean sheet in a 2-0 win
• McEveley brought back in for Kennedy. An end to the temporary solidity.
• Collins hasn’t been seen since October
• In response to the centre-back issues, we sell Butler to Donny Rovers permanently, then sign two more right-backs in Brayford and Freeman
• Collins put out of footballing purgatory, sent out on loan to Port Vale
• Collins returns from loan ahead of playoffs
• Brayford moved to centre-back, picks up injury he will never fully recover from
• Alcock handed first start since January and paired with McEveley for their one and only game together. Ends spectacularly

 

[Gimli]

Clough’s season of centre-backs in review:

• Signs Andy Butler and Harrison McGahey
• Sells Harry Maguire (nothing he could do there)
• Pairs inexperienced McGahey alongside full-back Craig Alcock, with Collins on the bench
• Butler appears in the cup, scores, but oddly not in the squad for the league – rumours of fallout, immediately loaned to Walsall
• Paddy McCarthy loaned, is generally appalling
• McEveley moves from left-back to CB after another fallout with Collins. McCarthy/McEveley now the pairing.
• Butler returns from Walsall, immediately loaned to Donny Rovers
• As McCarthy leaves, Terry Kennedy comes in, effective though clearly not fit
• Basham moved to CB for first time of the season at Spurs
• Basham and Kennedy get one game together vs Swindon – a solid clean sheet in a 2-0 win
• McEveley brought back in for Kennedy. An end to the temporary solidity.
• Collins hasn’t been seen since October
• In response to the centre-back issues, we sell Butler to Donny Rovers permanently, then sign two more right-backs in Brayford and Freeman
• Collins put out of footballing purgatory, sent out on loan to Port Vale
• Collins returns from loan ahead of playoffs
• Brayford moved to centre-back, picks up injury he will never full recover from
• Alcock handed first start since January and paired with McEveley for their one and only game together. Ends spectacularly

It’s laughably bad

 

[Addison]

Clough’s season of centre-backs in review:

• Signs Andy Butler and Harrison McGahey
• Sells Harry Maguire (nothing he could do there)
• Pairs inexperienced McGahey alongside full-back Craig Alcock, with Collins on the bench
• Butler appears in the cup, scores, but oddly not in the squad for the league – rumours of fallout, immediately loaned to Walsall
• Paddy McCarthy loaned, is generally appalling
• McEveley moves from left-back to CB after another fallout with Collins. McCarthy/McEveley now the pairing.
• Butler returns from Walsall, immediately loaned to Donny Rovers
• As McCarthy leaves, Terry Kennedy comes in, effective though clearly not fit
• Basham moved to CB for first time of the season at Spurs
• Basham and Kennedy get one game together vs Swindon – a solid clean sheet in a 2-0 win
• McEveley brought back in for Kennedy. An end to the temporary solidity.
• Collins hasn’t been seen since October
• In response to the centre-back issues, we sell Butler to Donny Rovers permanently, then sign two more right-backs in Brayford and Freeman
• Collins put out of footballing purgatory, sent out on loan to Port Vale
• Collins returns from loan ahead of playoffs
• Brayford moved to centre-back, picks up injury he will never fully recover from
• Alcock handed first start since January and paired with McEveley for their one and only game together. Ends spectacularly

An excellent summation of incompetence adding McCarthy was allowed to train down South . Not forgetting his eve of season fall out with Collins and Butler over their alleged suggestion to Maguire that he should better himself. Maguire eventually leaving under a cloud and the Club having to go back to Dull City on bended knee asking if they could have the money they had previously rejected and fat boy Bruce publicly taking the piss as a result. Shambolic.

 

[Weasel]

Clough’s season of centre-backs in review:

• Signs Andy Butler and Harrison McGahey
• Sells Harry Maguire (nothing he could do there)
• Pairs inexperienced McGahey alongside full-back Craig Alcock, with Collins on the bench
• Butler appears in the cup, scores, but oddly not in the squad for the league – rumours of fallout, immediately loaned to Walsall
• Paddy McCarthy loaned, is generally appalling
• McEveley moves from left-back to CB after another fallout with Collins. McCarthy/McEveley now the pairing.
• Butler returns from Walsall, immediately loaned to Donny Rovers
• As McCarthy leaves, Terry Kennedy comes in, effective though clearly not fit
• Basham moved to CB for first time of the season at Spurs
• Basham and Kennedy get one game together vs Swindon – a solid clean sheet in a 2-0 win
• McEveley brought back in for Kennedy. An end to the temporary solidity.
• Collins hasn’t been seen since October
• In response to the centre-back issues, we sell Butler to Donny Rovers permanently, then sign two more right-backs in Brayford and Freeman
• Collins put out of footballing purgatory, sent out on loan to Port Vale
• Collins returns from loan ahead of playoffs
• Brayford moved to centre-back, picks up injury he will never fully recover from
• Alcock handed first start since January and paired with McEveley for their one and only game together. Ends spectacularly

Anyone who thinks young Clough wasn't an appalling manager for us, just needs to read your post to remind themselves of that total and utter failure over a season to remedy something so obvious it was genuinely mystifying.

I don't dislike Clough (like I do Warnock, Blackwell and Robson) but I do think he was proper shite.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

I went to the game and was in the side stand, when it went to 3-0 down on the night I remember seeing Clough hiding in the bench and it was Morgan (as assistant boss) bouncing up and down on the sidelines trying to rally the troops.

When it went to 5-5 on the night we had one disallowed, I think it was Adams who got it, at the time I thought we were robbed on that decision but never seen it back on tv since.

Agree with all that has been said with regards to Clough and his filling in most of the season with non centre backs (at centre back) and that Swindon game totally highlighted it for me at the time. I think if he'd have sorted that we'd have gone up (and with the money he had to spend he should have sorted the centre backs out), we did get to three semi-finals in his 18 months at the Lane FA cup, League Cup and Play offs, so he can't have been that bad, bizarrely we looked much better against teams from a higher division (Forest and Southampton home games especially).

 

[PaulHalfway]

In the first match at BL the winger Byrne dropped deep and ran us ragged all night, at no point do we push up on him and close him down, bizzare management to watch what was happening and Clough did nothing about it

 

[BushBlade]

I never particularly liked him but I did expect him to do a good job for us. I was fairly sure he’d take us up after his first half season in charge. And I still think that despite the bizarre subsequent season, if he’d stayed he’d have taken us up the following year. Which would have condemned us to another 10 years or more in the championship as he’d have spent three seasons taking us from 20th to 14th, then got sacked. Or left us to go to Forest.

It was a very strange season but, after reading the court case documents, I get the impression things were not great behind the scenes at boardroom level, with KM and PA having very different ideas about how the club should be run. I still wonder if Clough was under the impression that we had more money than we actually had and signed Brayford thinking he was going to be able to sign a few more expensive players. I did hear he was quite happy with Freeman and it was someone higher up who wanted to sign Brayford as a ‘crowd pleaser’.

I also remember hearing he bombed Collins out because he wouldn’t play to his instructions and sat too deep.

 

[PokerBlade]

If anything the attempted comeback made me more depressed because it made me realise we could attack if we actually tried. Instead Clough fell out with all his centre backs and tried to defend his way to promotion anyway.

 

[Antarctic Monkey]

The last day i smoked a cigarette. Watched it in the Fox pub in Beighton with a mental mate, left me feeling pretty desolate. At least one good thing came out of it...

 

[diplomat]

BBC running a page on memorable play-off games today:

EFL play-offs: Relive some of the most memorable games

On the weekend this season's EFL play-offs should have been completed, BBC Sport looks back at some of the most dramatic games.

www.bbc.co.uk

Warning: Contains unnecessary pic of Steve Simonsen

I don't think I appreciated just how bonkers this game was at the time.
After Swindon went 3-0 up, I'd given up hope for a team I didn't have much affinity for in the first place.
The flurry of Blades goals then caused me to lose count.
By stopping time, I remember literally being on the floor praying for another to get through to extra time.
Butterfly effect and all that - it's probably best we didn't reach the final and go up with that team because we wouldn't have had Wilder and all that came with it.

Don’t worry, we’d have lost the final, probably without scoring, again.

 

[Harry's Game]

That defence...

cheers Nigel you colossal idiot.

 

[diplomat]

Clough’s season of centre-backs in review:

• Signs Andy Butler and Harrison McGahey
• Sells Harry Maguire (nothing he could do there)
• Pairs inexperienced McGahey alongside full-back Craig Alcock, with Collins on the bench
• Butler appears in the cup, scores, but oddly not in the squad for the league – rumours of fallout, immediately loaned to Walsall
• Paddy McCarthy loaned, is generally appalling
• McEveley moves from left-back to CB after another fallout with Collins. McCarthy/McEveley now the pairing.
• Butler returns from Walsall, immediately loaned to Donny Rovers
• As McCarthy leaves, Terry Kennedy comes in, effective though clearly not fit
• Basham moved to CB for first time of the season at Spurs
• Basham and Kennedy get one game together vs Swindon – a solid clean sheet in a 2-0 win
• McEveley brought back in for Kennedy. An end to the temporary solidity.
• Collins hasn’t been seen since October
• In response to the centre-back issues, we sell Butler to Donny Rovers permanently, then sign two more right-backs in Brayford and Freeman
• Collins put out of footballing purgatory, sent out on loan to Port Vale
• Collins returns from loan ahead of playoffs
• Brayford moved to centre-back, picks up injury he will never fully recover from
• Alcock handed first start since January and paired with McEveley for their one and only game together. Ends spectacularly

I thought McCarthy was going to be a good signing but he was bobbins. I’d consigned him to that part of my brain for disposal of useless information until reminded here.
The rest of that is really quite depressing when put in that format.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

The result didn’t tell a true story of the game & the tie , we were always chasing the games & we couldn’t defend for toffee they were a far better team than us , said it all when Swindon got hammered in the final , if we’d gone through that fate would have awaited us with Cloughs no centre half tactical nouse

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

If I remember correctly in the first leg at the Lane I thought we battered them first half and they were lucky to still in the game, second half admittedly totally different game, as a few have said on here their winger was brilliant and ripped our full back apart.

 

[Sheff de party]

I’m sure ive seen that final Adams goal (the disallowed one) back on TV and it was a clear foul.

 

[Sheff de party]

Update: here’s the link. Can see why it’s not given. He’s blown well before Adams scores.

 

[Sheff de party]

My personal view of that game is it was epic entertainment and a mental end to a nice day out.

In terms of the match, the only one who was driving the team on because he didn’t think this was good enough was Basham.

That probably explains why he’s a Premier League footballer and the rest aren’t.

(Adams excepted as he is technically, and he looked bang up for it when he came on).

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

My personal view of that game is it was epic entertainment and a mental end to a nice day out.

In terms of the match, the only one who was driving the team on because he didn’t think this was good enough was Basham.

That probably explains why he’s a Premier League footballer and the rest aren’t.

(Adams excepted as he is technically, and he looked bang up for it when he came on).

They were a toothless, characterless lot and much the same the season after under Adkins. There was enough talent in the squad, there was just no b***ocks or devilment, no aggrression, no real team spirit, thankfully we've got it in bucket loads under Wilder.

Remember seeing us at Scunthorpe, under one of the Nigel's, that little tosser madon put one of our players in the stand behind the goal with all our fans. Remember then seeing Blades in the stand wanting to rip madons head off, then it dawned on me not one other united player came over to back his team mate up, and then the player that ended up in the stand didn't say a dickie bird, he even patted madon on the backside when he ran passed. In that moment that summed up what United's problems were at that time. Like chalk and cheese thankfully these days.