March reflects on rollercoaster day

Most fans could have been forgiven for thinking Albion’s FA Cup run was over when Solly March hoisted a last-gasp set-piece towards the Millwall penalty area a year ago today.

Alex Stedman

2020-03-17T07:00:00Z

Solly March converts his penalty a year ago today against Millwall.

Millwall had scored twice in nine minutes to go 2-0 ahead in the quarter-final at The Den, and even when Jurgen Locadia halved the deficit on 88 minutes few would have predicted what was to follow.

With virtually the last kick of the game, home keeper David Martin was unable to keep March’s free-kick out with 95 minutes on the clock. The rest is history. Albion won the subsequent penalty shoot-out and were back at Wembley for the first time in the competition since 1983.

But March admitted that the quality of his delivery wasn’t as good as he would have hoped – even though the outcome certainly was.

He said, “They scored two goals quite quickly and at that point we were all thinking it would take some effort to come back from there.

“There wasn’t long left, we just tried to keep going. I managed to get the ball into the box for Jurgen [Locadia] who smashed one in with a good finish and then obviously my free-kick came not long after.

“It was the last kick and we’d put them under pressure, but it wasn’t a great free-kick and as soon as I kicked it I thought ‘that’s game over’, but when it dropped in the celebrations to take it into extra time were massive.”

Solly March steps up in the shootout.

More drama was to follow in the added 30 minutes and resulting spot-kicks. Glenn Murray hit the crossbar with Albion’s first penalty, but Locadia, Davy Propper, March, Dale Stephens and Lewis Dunk all converted from the spot.

Maty Ryan saved from Mahlon Romeo before Jake Cooper fired over the bar in front of the away support to spark jubilant scenes on and off the field.

March admitted it was a real rollercoaster of emotions.

“In extra time I think we probably deserved to win it too, we obviously had the ball in the net and other chances too,” he said.

“From then on in the penalties it was tense, and not many of us had been in a shootout before. That’s certainly the only one I remember during my time at the club.

“Luckily enough we got through. But it was a rollercoaster of a day, we went to thinking we were out to knowing we’d made the last four just under an hour later.”

Maty Ryan celebrates saving Mahlon Romeo's spot-kick in front of the away end.

It set up a last four tie with Manchester City, but Gabriel Jesus’s early goal settled the semi-final and City went on to lift the Cup by thrashing Watford in the final.

“Knowing we made Wembley was a great feeling for everyone involved with the football club and it’s not something that comes around too often,” March added.

“It had been 28 years since the club had been there in if you don’t count the game with Tottenham in the Premier League the year before, so it was a huge thing.

“It was a tough game and we knew we’d drawn them [Manchester City] about ten minutes after the final whistle. But I thought we gave a really good account of ourselves after falling behind early on.

“I was gutted to miss the game through injury but was there with the lads and it was an occasion we’ll all look back on when we reach the end of our careers.”