Other than some of the derbies, my favourite game,
8th of December 2001. West Brom away. We were scrapping about down near bottom of table, West Brom were smashing everyone on a promotion charge. Away stand had a line of stewards down the middle, Blades on one side, West Brom on the other. Atmosphere was feisty. Our chances of getting a result were very slim, we werent doing well away from home at the time and didnt help when Shane Nicholson got sent off a couple of minutes after kick off! For the next 85 minutes we lined up on our goal line and formed a human brick wall. West Brom lay siege but Simon Tracy, who had been on the coke all night, was still feeling its effects, reflexes of mongoose, brave as a bear, agile as a gibbon. Its was heading to injury time and it looked like we might be able to hang on for a valuable point away from home. West Brom were taking their 18,863rd corner of the game. Like all of them before, it was whipped in with power, pace, precision, you know the ones where your arsehole tightens up and your pupils dilate, anyway, cleared! again! Our mate Darren Moore is stood at the halfway line with Pesch. Hes the only West Brom player defending as all the others were still in an orderly que waiting for their shot. The ball dropped just inside their half and Pesch set off like a man possessed. He ran round Moore three times before leaving him for dust. Pesch is now one on one with their goalkeeper but hes 40 yards out, we all hold our breath, he just needs to casually round the keeper and slot home. But no! He fucking chips it, time goes into ultra HD slow mo. Hes chipped it too high its going to miss, no wait its going in! its gonna miss, its going in! its gonna miss, its going in! This went on for several minutes as the ball defied all known physics and impossibly hung in the air. The moment of truth is upon us! its going in!!! It scuffed the fucking bar, bounced on the line and out! But wait whats this blurry thing flying through the air? Its Asaba, a human spear, 12 feet in the air, straight as a spirit level, soaring into the ball! Diving header, back of the net, blades go fucking mental, ref blows whistle, game over. We're all covered in blood, piss, vomit, tears, beer, all irrelevant because......ohhhhh Jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way....
