Nationwide: Kavanagh on the spot for Stoke - March
14, 2001
Irish international midfielder Graham Kavanagh yesterday threatened to quit Stoke if they failed to win promotion this season - and then single-handedly got the Potters' play-off bid back on the rails by scoring the winner against Cup heroes Wycombe!
Kavanagh - on standby for the Republic's World Cup matches against Cyprus and Andorra - struck a tenth-minute penalty to deliver all three points for Stoke and end their recent wobbly patch.
All three of Stoke's disaffected Irishmen - Kavanagh, Clive Clarke and James O'Connor - started the game. But it wasn't such a good night for Wycombe's Cork-born central defender, Paul McCarthy .
He gave away the penalty and then got himself booked just before half time.
Elsewhere in the Nationwide, Paul McGregor was on target in Plymouth's 1-1 draw with Hull - his eighth goal of the season.
And former Coventry City star Willie Boland scored Cardiff City's third goal, from the penalty spot, as the Bluebirds hammered Shrewsbury 4-0.
In the LDV Northern final, Port Vale's Michael Cummins holds an advantage over fellow countryman Peter Gain of Lincoln City after the Valiants gained a 2-0 first-leg away victory. Liam Burns and Dean Delaney were on the bench for Port Vale.
In the Southern final, Brentford, with u21 international Martin Rowlands aboard, gained a 2-1 first-leg advantage at Southend, for whom Kevin Maher was in action.