6 Teams That Escaped Relegation at the Last Second
Surviving relegation on the final day of the season is dramatic enough, but sometimes it goes all the way to the last few minutes of an entire campaign.
For those supporters whose team beat the drop with seconds remaining it is pure ecstasy, for those relegated in similar circumstances, utter despair.
Here are six teams that escaped relegation at the last second of the season.
1. Everton
On the final day of the 1993/94 Premier League season, heavyweights Everton were staring relegation straight in the face, knowing that they had to win and Sheffield United lose to stay in the top flight.
The Toffees were 2-0 down at home to Wimbledon, but fought back to all square as both games reached the finale. Graham Stuart scored an injury time winner at Goodison Park for the hosts at almost the same time that the Blades conceded to send them down.
2. Eintracht Frankfurt
In what was certainly the most exhilarating day in Bundesliga history when it came to teams fighting the drop, Eintracht Frankfurt had the odds and the mathematics piled against them on the final day of the 1998/99 season.
Needing five goals to survive, Frankfurt took the game to reigning champions and Champions League-chasing Kaiserslautern as the clock ran down. 4-1 up, Norwegian striker Jan Age Fjortoft scored in injury time to keep his side in the top flight, sending Nurnberg down.
3. Rayo Vallecano
Four teams: Villarreal, Real Zaragoza, Granada and Rayo Vallecano, were all in danger of going down, and the last two took on each other in Vallecano's Estadio Teresa Rivero in what was pitched as a winner takes all crunch match.
Nine men of Zaragoza won to keep themselves up, while Villarreal's loss meant nothing, as Vallecano remained in the drop zone with the score tied at 0-0. A corner, deep into stoppage time, eventually led to Raul Tamudo's headed goal, sparking a pitch invasion and sending the Yellow Submarine down.
4. Carlisle United
Jimmy Glass will go down as one of the biggest heroes in Carlisle United history. The on-loan goalkeeper was ready to experience relegation from the Football League, with the Cumbrians sitting bottom of the old Division Four, a point off Scarborough.
Needing a win to stay up, Jimmy Glass went up for a corner as the clock hit the 95th minute and he reacted quickest to a saved header, volleying the ball in the back of the net. The expected pitch invasion soon followed and Glass became an immediate legend.
5. Birmingham City
Starting the final day a point behind Doncaster Rovers, albeit with a better goal difference, Birmingham City were aware that they had to better Donny's result in order to stay in the Championship as the 2013/14 season drew to a close.
With champions Leicester City beating Doncaster, the Blues were still in the drop zone with Bolton 2-0 up at the Reebok Stadium. A Nikola Zigic header halved the deficit before a Paul Caddis equaliser in the 93rd minute ensured Birmingham's incredible survival.
6. Newport County
The latest entry to this list, Newport County needed just a win to stay in the Football League, but with Hartlepool United 2-1 up as the 2016/17 season entered its final few minutes, the Exiles were on the brink of relegation from League Two.
Enter Newport defender Mark O'Brien, who scored what was just his second ever career goal, chesting and volleying a brilliant effort to send the Rodney Parade faithful into jubilation and keep his side up.
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