THE Cheshire Senior Cup final on Wednesday had everything - and more!
It had two evenly-matched teams playing attractive football, an extra-time winner for the underdogs and, of course, an incident now seen by millions worldwide.
The game had just passed the hour mark when a Woodley defender conceded a corner. A more attentive referee may have even spotted a hand-ball, but then events would never have unfolded as they did.
A male streaker ran on to the pitch, Brian Pritchard tackled him from the side, the naked invader eventually scarpered and the referee sent off the Witton defender.
A full story appears on our news pages, but what was thought to be a lightweight final had suddenly become one of the most memorable ever.
Almost certainly, the controversial dismissal of Pritchard effected the outcome, though at the time, North West Counties Leaguers Woodley were holding their own.
Their young keeper Liam Higginbottom was quickly into action, denying both Alex Kevan and Darrell Dicken, who also went close again shortly after.
Around the half-hour mark, twice Greg Brickell wriggled clear of his markers but his eventual shots were off target. Dave Nolan then got on the end of a Sargeson cross following successive corners but saw his shot blocked by the mass of defenders encamped on their goal line.
And just before the break, Mike Moseley's shot, following Nolan's back header, somehow struck the underside of the bar and was scrambled off the line.
The game's major incident took five minutes to play-out and within a few more minutes, Woodley had taken the lead. Witton were still adjusting to Pritchard's departure when Simon Hackney squeezed in a header at the far post.
Witton staged a brilliant recovery over the remaining 20 minutes. Higginbottom again denied Dicken, Stannard only just off target with a shot and was then desperately un-lucky when unable to adjust his position as Dicken's shot came back off the crossbar with the keeper stranded.
Ironically though, it was to be from a Kevan corner that Albion took the tie into extra-time. Three minutes into the six added, Adam Foy was positioned centre-goal to head home - and he has now scored in a Cheshire Senior and Amateur Cup final.
The first period of extra-time saw Higginbottom in a matter of seconds blocking shots from Mike Yates and Moseley. Paul Gibson, though, at the other end remained alert and produced a full-length dive to deny Wood-ley substitute Jamie Fitzpatrick.
There were only two minutes left when another sub, Damien Morrison, reacted first when Gibson failed to get any great distance when pushing the ball away, giving Woodley the cup for the first time. Indeed, it was probably the club's greatest ever moment.
