Five years ago today

Following on from the win at Brighton the previous Friday, pretty sure that just about everyone travelled with mixed feelings. Reading would be a disaster and our best shot at the highest division would gone forever. Or, win this, and the dream was real.

No-one who was there will ever forget the mounting tension as the seconds ticked slowly, slowly, slowly away or the outburst of relief and joy at the final whistle.

Within a few days we had overcome two of our oldest rivals from third division days to make everything so much sweeter and on their own turf too.
 
Wasn't there some other matches that evening? They kicked off at 7-45, a quarter hour before us, the results went in our favour, if we could hold on we'd either be top or second ( I can't recall, just writing this I'm getting that gut wrenching nervous feeling). I remember Artur Boruc making an absolutely stunning world class save, from whom I don't know but it earnt us 3 instead of 1 point. That last 15 minutes with 6 hours injury time was relentless pressure from Reading v brave heart defending from Tommy and the lads. Thought I was going to pass out at the final whistle, able to breathe after what felt like hours.

What a night, thanks Artur, one of my top non "goal scoring" memories of A.F.C.B supporting : )
 
Boruc was immense that evening. I cannot recall such intense pressure from an opposing side in any game that season to match that one. The feeling afterwards was the first time we really felt this was going to happen and the stars were aligned in our favour.
 
That was quite a day it took us 4 hours to get there because the traffic was a nightmare.Managed to get in about 2 mins before kick off.

The last 10 mins were agony it seemed like an hour at the final whistle I started to believe for the first time it was going to happen.

There is a video from after the game knocking about somewhere.
 
Always remember Kenwynne Jones coming on near the end and he ended up playing as an extra centre half - pretty damn good at it as well.
The tension in that last 20 mins and the seemingly 30 mins of added time was unbearable. One of those where you just had to be there to know what it was like.
We got back to the pub the other side of the M4 and just sat there totally drained and speechless for about an hour.
 
They didn't just throw the kitchen sink at us the fridge, freezer etc came as well. Incredible feat of hanging on. Certainly made up for Elm Park a few years earlier.
 
IIRC they were in the FA Cup semi final the following Saturday. A part of me expected them to roll over and pull out of challenges with that on their minds, but they came out and pretty much attacked us from the off.

That second half aged me. I don't think I've ever been as nervous watching a game of football.
 
Always remember Kenwynne Jones coming on near the end and he ended up playing as an extra centre half - pretty damn good at it as well.
The tension in that last 20 mins and the seemingly 30 mins of added time was unbearable. One of those where you just had to be there to know what it was like.
We got back to the pub the other side of the M4 and just sat there totally drained and speechless for about an hour.
Thanks for posting this!! Has anyone got the highlights of the game somewhere?!
 

;