TWENTY years on from Swindon Town’s title-winning season in Division Two, David Wallis tells the tale of that 1995/96 campaign week by week – every week on Total Sport. The story continues
Come the second week in November 1995, and Town were sitting comfortably at the top of the Division Two table, but on the 11th of the month came an FA Cup first round tie with Cambridge United.
There were some nervous moments in the first half as Town struggled to break down a resolute Third Division side at the County Ground, but thankfully Kevin Horlock steadied the nerves with a goal after 41 minutes and another just four minutes later.
The brace put Town in control of the tie.
Always dominating possession, Town could have secured a more convincing score line. Chances for Wayne Allison, Steve Finney and Shaun Taylor were foiled within the first fifteen minutes as the visiting keeper Scott Barrett played a blinder.
Swindon defender Mark Robinson made an important block for Town, before Paul Allen shrugged of a challenge and shot wide after referee Paul Adcock played an advantage.
Just after the half hour mark came an incredible scare for the visitors when Allison’s header was deflected onto the cross bar by Barrett, the same striker also saw his follow up blocked. Finney struck the post and then the visiting keeper again parried a Wayne O’Sullivan attempt.
But eventually Horlock supplied the breakthrough.
The midfielder connected with a Robinson cross ahead of the advancing keeper to loop a header into the net, and then the Northern Ireland international doubled his tally for the evening by tapping home an Allison flick from a Steve McMahon free kick.
Barrett again denied Finney before Steve Butler knocked home from close range to give the visitors what was always destined to be a consolation.
But the night would be one of celebration for twice FA Cup winner Paul Allen, who raced into the penalty area, dummied the keeper and completed the scoring.
Allen had become the youngest player to appear in a Wembley FA Cup final when he trotted out for West Ham against Arsenal in 1980 and, subsequently joining Tottenham for £400,000, he made the final twice more, collecting medals of both varieties.
Then his value increased again when he moved on to Southampton for £550,000 in 1993. Losing his place at the Dell, Allen had spells on loan at Luton and Stoke before joining Town on a free, a month before this goal-scoring outing in the FA Cup.
Allen became a successful signing for Town, making almost 50 appearances at the County Ground.
Then a free transfer took him to Bristol City in January 1997 where he spent a season, before a similar spell at Millwall saw him retire after an impressive 750 professional matches.
Allen was reflective about his goal. “I turned back the clock a bit! I just saw a bit of space and went for it and it made up for a miss in the first half,” he said at the time.
Meanwhile Horlock was more circumspect: “I should have scored a third. I’m disappointed I didn’t get a hat trick.”
The season’s chief marksman so far, Finney, was content though. Town’s top scorer said: “I’m very happy and it’s been a fairy tale because I would have laughed if someone had said I would be top scorer with 12 at the start of the season.’
So, safely through to the next round of the FA Cup it was time to concentrate on the Division Two title race again.