The closing stages of Leicester‘s Championship play-off semi-final second leg tie against Watford in 2013 left the Foxes devastated.
With the score at 2-2 on aggregate in the stoppage time, Foxes winger Anthony Knockaert won a penalty when he was brought down by Marco Cassetti.
No-one could have imagined what happened next.
Knockaert took over spot kick duties himself knowing that if he scored, Leicester were through to the play-off final.
It was an effort that Watford ‘keeper Manuel Almunia was able to keep out. Struck down the middle, Almunia managed to get a foot on the ball and make the save.
However, the Spaniard diverted the ball back into danger, leaving Knockaert with a second opportunity to score.
But Almunia stayed upright and blocked his chipped effort. With 96 minutes on the clock, that looked to be the game over.
Watford, however, had other ideas. Fernando Forestieri reached the byline and delivered a teasing cross to Jonathan Hogg, who managed to head the ball before Kasper Schmeichel. Schmeichel had put in a desperate effort in an attempt to get there first.
Troy Deeney was waiting in the box. And the rest, they say, is history.
The forward smashed the ball into the corner of the net, immediately took off his shirt and jumped straight into the crowd.
Fans invaded the pitch. Hornets manager Gianfranco Zola was mobbed. Deeney and Watford had done it.
On the other side, though, Leicester’s players and fans could barely believe what they’d just witnessed.
Just 20 seconds had elapsed between Almunia’s save and Deeney’s winning goal.
The Foxes had gone from jubiliation at winning the penalty, to complete despair.
The Leicester comeback
Any doubts over whether Leicester would immediately respond to this huge setback would be quickly dispelled.
Nigel Pearson’s men dominated the division in the 2013/14 season, picking up 102 points and the Championship title in the process.
When discussing the greatest Championship sides of all-time, you would have to take this side into consideration – if only for the pure amount of talent on display.
The team contained the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Drinkwater, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez (the Algerian was signed in January). David Nugent is the highest Championship goal-scorer of the century, and top scored with 20 league goals that season.
Chris Wood – now of Burnley – also played his part.
That title success set them up for the Premier League, and one of the club’s greatest ever achievements in winning the division in 2016.
Listen to more first-hand Leicester tales – including their dream Premier League title success – in the latest episode of the Football Uncovered podcast.
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