My best Mariners memory is not really an obvious one. Away to Reading, 1st Feb 1989, FA Cup 4th Round Replay. We had drawn 1-1 at home on the Saturday and the replay was away the following Wednesday. It was an 8pm kick off and I left work at 3pm to pick up another 3 fans. I was only expecting there to be about 2 or 3 hundred Town fans there but there was well over 1000 packed on the open terrace behind the goal at Elm Park. It was just at the time the inflatables craze was taking off and there were a variety of different ones that night. I had a black and white zebra but there was a dinosaur, a giant fried egg, a Newcastle Brown bottle, a fish (which went on to become our own Harry Haddock) and even a blow up doll amongst a host of others.
They were a division above us so were obviously favourites to go through to play holders Wimbledon in the 5th Round but we shocked them when Shaun Cunnington put us in front in the 2nd half. With time running out though Steve Moran equalised for them and with our players tiring, having given there all, it seemed there would only be one winner if the game went to extra time. That was until Kevin Jobling raced onto a great through ball and held his nerve in a one-on-one with the keeper to slot home and send the players and the fans behind the goal mental. I can remember Shaun Cunnington climbed the fence behind the goal shaking his fist in celebration whilst there was bedlam on the away terrace. We held out for the last couple of minutes to claim a famous victory.
It seemed to take an age to get away from the ground after the game and I can remember driving back down the A1 about 1am in the morning almost falling asleep whilst my 3 passengers were snoring their heads off.
A fantastic night and one that will live me me forever.
Les Brechin
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Memory added on December 12, 2013
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