19/2/1995 v Man City (h) 3-1 FA Cup 5th Round

"I was always well up for games against Man City because of what had happened when I was a trainee at City. I was coming up to 19 and playing for England Youth when they told me I wasn't good enough. City's manager was Billy McNeill and as their fans will tell you, he was useless and I didn't particularly get on with him. I'd also had a bit of a bust-up with the coach (I was a bit mouthy as a kid but I learned to control this later on, most of the time...) and I knew that the chances were they wouldn't take me on as a pro but they also made it very awkward for me to leave. All of the lads were called into the office to be told their fate, except me - I was just left a letter on my peg and that sort of knock-back took me a good two or three years to get over. That meant it was great for me to be playing for one of the greatest sides in Europe against struggling City sides. It was always nice to let them know what they'd missed.

This FA Cup game was obviously one of those occasions, in front of a big live TV audience. It was a game I remember particularly for the goal that I got. It was possibly the greatest of my career and they tell me one of the best ever seen on Tyneside. I can remember it as if it was yesterday. I think Barry Venison played it into Peter Beardsley who laid it back to me. My first touch was a dream and I sprinted forward, playing the perfect one-two with Peter. As I surged into the box I could hear the crowd roar with anticipation and I knew that if I caught it just right I could send us into the quarter-finals. The contact was true and the ball sailed over Andy Dibble and into the top corner of the net. I wheeled away in delight and do you know what? I'm also a lying b*****rd...! It was a flukey chip to the far post for Paul Kitson that went straight in!!

After the game I bumped into Andy Dibble who had gifted our first to Keith Gillespie. He looked thoroughly miserable and said, "Thanks a lot. I was already having a disaster out there without you getting a jammy goal as well...".

All quotes are taken from John Beresford's interviews for NUFC.com