Carling Cup Memories (Part 4)

It was perhaps the best ever night under the floodlights at Belle Vue. A game which accelerated the resurgence of Doncaster Rovers, captured the imagination of TV audiences throughout the world and is still often discussed to this day.

Wild celebrations, euphoria and even a re-make on a popular hit single followed as Dave Penney's unlikely underdogs grabbed the media spotlight and received wide acclaim for their mesmerising performance infront of the Sky Sports cameras!

Now 15 years ago, of course the game in question is when Premier League Aston Villa came to Belle Vue and got well and truly 'hammered' in the Carling Cup. 

Nobody amongst the sell-out 10,590 crowd - the largest at a Rovers home game in over 30 years, could have anticipated witnessing such a distinguished and breathtaking accomplishment. Villa weren't just beaten - their line-up of international stars were outplayed, outclassed, out-fought, out-thought, humiliated, disgraced and embarrassed and it caused David O'Leary the bleakest night of his managerial career. Not even a thinly-veiled attack by the Irishman towards the officials during his post-match interview could deflect attention away from what was, on the flip side, another undisputed 'golden' moment in John Ryan's chairmanship.

Having already sparked media interest for dispatching of Stuart Pearce's Manchester City on penalties in Round Two, followed by a 2-0 success over league rivals Gillingham in Round Three, a feverish 'buzz' and growing excitement had long-since existed in regards to Rovers' journey in the competition. So when Aston Villa were presented as Fourth Round opponents, Sky Sports were quick to reveal that they'd be coming back at Belle Vue to cover the game.

Everyone sensed another giant-killing might be on the cards but could it really happen again? Would Doncaster Rovers, mid-table in League One, really be able to knock out another established top flight team? Could lightning strike twice? Was it actually possible? Or was it just a pipe dream?

Long queues lined the pot-hole ridden car park at the old ground long into the night as tickets for the big game were like gold dust and sold-out in no time whatsoever. Cup fever had engrossed the town. The club 'cashed in' with special memorabilia to mark the event and as the tie drew nearer and nearer throughout November, it was the game everyone couldn't wait to see.

From the media's perspective, much of their pre-match hype and coverage centred on the two goalkeepers.

In Rovers' ranks was Jan Budtz - a cult-like figure who could do no wrong in the eyes of many supporters after his dramatic penalty-saving exploits on his debut against Man City. Villa's regular shot-stopper, by coincidence, was his fellow countryman, Thomas Sorensen - an established Premier League custodian who was also Denmark's undisputed 'Number 1' at the time. The game was quickly dubbed 'The Battle Of The Vikings' and that exact phrase was used on the cover for the matchday programme with images of the two 'keepers. It was tempting fate, based on the assumption that both men would feature, and as is sometimes the case, the pre-match headlines proved to be a false dawn. Instead, rookie Slovenian 'keeper Dino Seremet, signed on loan from Luton only a few days earlier, kept goal for Rovers.

O'Leary, whose side had put eight goals past Wycombe two rounds earlier, knew he couldn't take anything for granted so therefore named his strongest possible side. Amongst the familiar names on show were England duo James Milner and Gareth Barry, whilst Milan Baros - a Champions League winner with Liverpool just six months earlier, partnered Colombian Juan Pablo Angel in attack. It was a formidable line-up though talent on its own wasn't just going to achieve victory. The mental challenge of having to adapt to Belle Vue's highly unusual and unsettling surroundings was always going to be crucial in any outcome. 

Whether it be the freezing cold mid-winter temperatures on the night, the squalid and cramped conditions in the away team dressing room, or the raucous and intimidating atmosphere created by Rovers fans desperate to see another cup upset, this was completely new territory for O'Leary's multi-million pound megastars.

A deafening roar of excitement from the souls who'd squeezed onto the jam-packed terraces greeted the players as they emerged onto the pitch to Carl Orff's classical motivational masterpiece 'Carmina Burana' from their separate tunnels (another quirk of the old ground). It whet the appetite. The big moment had finally arrived. There was no more build-up. There was no hiding place. It was time to perform - and, quite simply, Villa's players crumbled under the weight of expectation as their reputations were mercilessly ripped apart infront of the watching world.

Less than 20 minutes had been played when Liam Ridgwell's outstretched arm connected with James Coppinger's ball into the box. Appeals for a penalty went up straight away and Mike Dean pointed to the penalty spot. Despite lengthy protestations from the infuriated visitors, Rovers had (quite literally!) been handed a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock, infront of their own fans on the Town End, and talisman Michael McIndoe was placed with the responsibility. Though Sorensen, having clearly done his homework, guessed the same way which the Scotsman often put his penalties, this time McIndoe's spot-kick was low, hard and perfectly placed into the opposite corner - much to everyone's delight. It was 1-0 and as the winger was mobbed by his team-mates to a backdrop of Tony Christie's 'Amarillo' playing aloud over the PA system, fans were beginning to dream of what might be!

For such a richly-talented team (at least on paper), Villa struggled to muster up anything remotely meaningful for large swathes of proceedings. Their endeavour simply didn't match Rovers' zest and they toiled, looked troubled, and still trailed by the half-time interval.

An upset was still only tentatively on the cards at this point but only a few minutes into the second half, decibels were raised in an instant and Villa's miserable night got a whole heap worse thanks to Paul Heffernan. The Irishman, signed from Bristol City the previous summer, exposed gaps in Villa's backline and was perfectly-placed in an unmarked position to receive Lewis Guy's exquisite first-time lay-off from Dave Mulligan's cross, before he squeezed a low drive beyond a desperate, full-stretch Sorensen to spark more joyous celebrations.

If one goal was an advance, two goals was a charge - and Rovers were by now charging towards a place in the Carling Cup Quarter-Finals barring any fightback from the Premier League side!

Villa continued to toil, even after Kevin Phillips' introduction to bolster their front-line on the hour mark - too many of their players looked sluggish, others sheepish in the difficult surroundings and some completely anonymous. They couldn't get anywhere near those wearing red and white hoops, let alone cause problems, and barring a half-hearted penalty appeal when Baros went to ground inside the box, they showed few signs of staging any comeback as precious minutes ticked away.

With a quarter-of-an-hour to go, just when they thought their night couldn't get much worse, Sean Thornton put the icing on the remarkable triumph with a run and 25-yard drive which caught a wicked deflection to wrong-foot Sorensen and end up in the net. As celebrations of gleeful delight followed once again, there was no doubts whatsoever by now that everyone was witnessing a breathtaking, famous night under the Belle Vue floodlights - and Rovers were heading for the Quarter-Finals. 'Let The Party Commence' as commentator Alan Parry remarked to the watching millions on Sky Sports!

The final whistle sparked euphoric scenes as thousands of fans streamed onto the pitch to congratulate their heroes. Camera lenses flashed away and chants of 'Rovers Til I Die' echoed across Belle Vue. Everyone took in the moment - some beaming with pride, others overcome with emotion. Nobody could quite believe what they'd witnessed; it had been a remarkable game beyond even what was conceivable in the wildest of people's imaginations!

O'Leary cut an extremely glum and wounded figure as he conducted his post-match interview pitchside, knowing full well that this was the worst moment of his managerial career. His reputation in tatters, his anger turned towards the officials. It was sour grapes, in truth, and it couldn't disguise the manner of the defeat. It was simply incomprehensible to Villa's furious fans who wanted him sacked without excuse and also owner Doug Ellis, renowned for his deadly reputation, who expressed his disgust through the media.

There was nothing, however, which could overshadow how magnificently Rovers had performed right the way across the pitch. McIndoe had tormented and tortured the visitors with his bamboozling footwork and jinking runs down the left-wing; Thornton, with his extravagant flair and quality, had been too much to handle; Guy, whose nonchalant first-touch was outstanding; Heffernan who'd shown predatory instincts to punish any mistakes. The defence, though they'd not had much to do, were resolute throughout.

To this day, it remains perhaps the greatest ever display by any Doncaster Rovers team!

A highlights remake dubbed to Daniel Powter's chart-topping hit 'Bad Day' quickly went viral (even by 2005's standards) and rubbed salt into Villa's sore wounds. So did another song 'Is This The Way To Hammer Villa' which was a cheeky play on the lyrics to 'Amarillo' and was recorded by supporters before being released for sale.

As the entire football world soaked up news of the remarkable exploits, attention gradually moved towards the next step in the Carling Cup journey - the Quarter-Final draw! What would be the reward for 'hammering' Villa? Premier League opponents were already guaranteed, but would it be an away trip or would another team be risking their reputations by visiting Belle Vue?

After yet more feverish excitement and anticipation, it was revealed... Arsenal were up next!