Historic Matches No.2 – Port Vale 4 Queens Park Rangers 4
Port Vale vs Queens Park Rangers is hardly the highest profile of fixtures, but back on 19th January 1997 it produced an eight goal thriller. The game will be remembered by both sets of fans for QPR’s incredible second half comeback, after trailing 4-0 at the break. It remains the most amazing comeback that I’ve seen, albeit only live on television!
Port Vale took the lead on 24 minutes when Dean Glover flicked the ball in at the near post from a corner.
Lee Glover doubled the lead with a header at the far post after good work from Steve Guppy on the left wing. Guppy would play for England a few years later after joining Premiership side Leicester City.
Vale’s third came after Tony Naylor broke through the Rangers’ defence. He held up the ball before taking the ball wide. He then played the ball back to over to Guppy who laid the ball off first time to Jan Jansen who drove the ball hard into the back of the net.
An own goal from Rangers’ Matthew Brazier made the score 4-0 and came just before half-time.
Brazier inadvertently flicked the ball past his goalkeeper Tony Roberts at the near post from a Vale corner.
The second half was dominated by the visitors. Vale debutant Jermaine Holwyn scored an own goal with a cushioned header past his own goalkeeper and that gave QPR the ideal start.
Five minutes remained when Andy Impey made it 4-2 with a great volley that rocketed off the underside of the bar.
Paul Murray then scored for Rangers on 88 minutes after chasing a through ball and dinking it over Paul Musselwhite. The Port Vale goalkeeper initially hesitated and that gave Murray enough time to reach the through-ball and score.
John Spencer completed the comeback on 90 minutes, chasing a rebound after Paul Musselwhite pushed away Danny Dichio’s header. After Mussel got down well to bat away from Dichio’s powerful header at goal, Spencer charged in and hit the ball into the back of the net to send the away fans behind the goal into ecstasy.
The game was played live on Sky Sports and I remember watching the game on a Sunday afternoon. It was a great comeback and I remember voice the Sky Sports commentator going very high-pitched when Spencer equalised!
Port Vale finished the season in 8th position and QPR finished a position lower in 9th.
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