It was a fairytale finish to the 1996 State League season for Inglewood Falcons as Ian Ballantyne, the oldest player on the park, scored late to earn the club their first Premier League championship.
The Falcons came from behind to swoop with two stoppage time goals for a dramatic 2-1 win over Bayswater Panthers, which went into the final game of the home and away series with a one-point lead and requiring only a draw to lift the trophy.
The title appeared to be safely in Bayswater’s grasp when Rene de Koning converted an 81st minute penalty. But Inglewood equalised through 20-year old substitute Scott Daley in the third minute of stoppage time and three minutes later fellow substitute Ballantyne, 38, brilliantly headed in the decider.
The victory enabled Inglewood, which finished runner-up for the title in the previous two years, to finish football’s centenary season on 41 points. Stirling Macedonia was second with 40 points followed by Bayswater, who had lead the league for all but two weeks since the start of April, placed third on 39 points.
Referee Andy Gorton’s decision to play so much time in addition to the regulation 90 minutes caused a storm of controversy. There were no serious injuries during the second half, but the referee said the extra six minutes were added because of time-wasting by Bayswater.
Paul Wormley, the Falcons rookie player-coach, thought his side was finished while sitting on the bench but changed his mind after entering the action in the 90th minute. Wormley said he thought his side deserved to win after forcing the pace for most of the game and flashing a stream of shots just wide of the target.
Bayswater defended solidly, with a stand-out display by Boza Erakovic, in a tense contest in front of a crowd of nearly 2,000. They visitors then upped the tempo as Inglewood started to flag and grabbed the lead from the penalty spot after Tony Hall had fouled striker Kevin Molyneux.
Hall was a hero a few minutes later when he blocked a shot from Paul Hickey and Ballantyne hinted at an explosive finish when he hit the post a few minutes later. Daley hooked in the equaliser in a goalmouth scramble with Ballantyne heading in a Martin Woodall free-kick to steal the trophy.
Inglewood’s history-making 1996 Premier League winning squad featured Ron Moore, Lee Crosby, Paul Di Carlo, Martin Woodall, Ric Atunes, Tony Hall, Lou Collova, Ian Ballantyne, John Hunter, Gavin Tait, Scott Daley, Denis Muzafercvic, Gareth Healey, Kevin Smith, James Taylor and player-coach Paul Wormley, who was supported by Ian Buckley (assistant coach), Zac Greenaway (physiotherapist) and John Davidson (manager).
Photograph courtesy of Richard Kreider
