My special moment was ruined by a piece of history!

25 YEARS AGO, LEE PHILLIPS WAS UPSTAGED BY ‘THAT’ GLASS GOAL

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

IT was 25 years ago that Lee Phillips, then aged 18, scored the first goal of his professional career for Plymouth Argyle.

Unfortunately for him, that milestone moment for the Penzanceborn striker was completely overshadowed by a certain Jimmy Glass. Yes, the goalkeeper who scored a last-gasp winning goal for Carlisle United against the Pilgrims at Brunton Park in the final seconds of the season to keep the Cumbrians in the Football League.

Even a quarter of a century on, it remains one of the most unique moments in the history of the league, with Glass a cult hero even now with Carlisle supporters - think Joe Edwards at Argyle and you get the idea!

Kevin Hodges’ mid-table Argyle had nothing to play for against Carlisle on May 8, 1999, and had been soundly beaten 3-0 away at Scarborough just three days earlier. Yet they took the lead in front of a Brunton Park crowd of more than 7,500 with what turned out to be Phillips’s one and only goal for the Pilgrims early in the second half.

Carlisle appeared doomed to relegation at that stage and even a 62nd minute equaliser from David Brightwell would not have been enough to save them. However, in one incredible late twist, Glass went up for a corner deep in added time and when the ball dropped to him inside the penalty area he smashed a shot past his Argyle counterpart James Dungey and sparked scenes of pandemonium.

Once a semblance of order was restored there was no time left for the Pilgrims to come up with any response. Carlisle won 2-1 and were safe, at the expense of Scarborough , whose 1-1 draw at home to Peterborough United had ended a short while earlier.