FEATURE: Scott Oakes on THAT magnificent FA Cup hat-trick against the Hammers

Former Hatters attacker Scott Oakes revealed he knew exactly what he was going to do when running clean through on goal against West Ham United faced with the opportunity to put Luton into the FA Cup semi-final some 26 years ago today.

Back on March 23, 1994, there were 16 minutes to go in the sixth round tie between Town and the Hammers at Kenilworth Road, when, with the scores locked at 2-2, United defender Steve Potts, father of current Luton defender Dan, opted to control a long punt forward.

He failed to do so, allowing Oakes, who already had two goals to his name on the evening, the chance to pound and race half the length of the pitch towards the Kenny End, before being faced with keeper Ludek Miklosko.

There were zero nerves on display from the attacker, who despite the bobbly surface, kept his calm impressively to speed away and confidently fire into the net, to make it 3-2 and send his side to Wembley.

Speaking exclusive to the Luton News, when recollecting that goal, Oakes, who netted 34 times in 200 matches for the Hatters, said: “We had a throw-in over the other side and I think it was Ceri Hughes who just smashed it up.

“Pottsy tried to control it didn’t, it was just the wind and if you listen on the video, you can hear John Moore shout ‘go on’ when he miscontrolled it, out of the whole crowd, you can actually hear it.

“Luckily whatever minute that was, I still had the pace, but I was running against Alvin Martin, so he didn't really have much hope of catching me, I was pretty quick back then.

“In my mind, I knew where I was taking it and managed to connect with it really sweetly and placed it exactly where I wanted it to go.

“It (nerves) doesn't really (affect you). I know where I'm going and know what I wanted to do before I even got there.

"So it wasn't, ‘there was a chance of a hat-trick,’ it wasn't, ‘this is going to put us in the lead and we’re going to go through,’ I'm just concentrating on where I'm going to go, where I'm taking the ball and where I want to place it, that was all.

“As soon as I went and took it off his foot, I knew exactly what I was going to do, but I managed to get it down to a tee, so that was good.”

Oakes had already netted twice in the game, equalising after a fine pass from Kerry Dixon on 35 minutes once Martin Allen had put the Hammers in front moments earlier.

He then made it 2-1 at the start of the second half, half volleying past Miklosko on his left foot following further good work by Dixon, before Ian Bishop beat Juergen Sommer to level on 55 minutes.

It was Oakes who went on to have the final word, but on his first two strikes, he said: “I’ve not seen them for a long time, but I can remember it well.

“Kerry set me up, Tim Breacker was left back for West Ham, he played me onside, I had to hit in the corner, there was no other way it was going to go in.

“Second one was Kerry again off a Trevor Peake free kick, off his chest.

"I scored a few with my left, but that was just a swing and hope really.

“John Moore had coached me from my Leicester days as well, and he made me practice on my left foot.

"It does (pay off) when I get brought to the club and put on the left wing and you've got Mick Harford and Brian Stein there.

“You’re not going to argue with Mick are you? So if I'm on the left wing, so I thought I’d better get practising.

“Ian Bishop then got sent through, put it in the corner past Juergen, that was a good finish.”

Being under the lights at Kenilworth Road in front of 13,166 supporters made it an even more special experience for Oakes too.

Although his wonder goal against Derby understandably remains his all-time favourite, running from inside his own half, twisting and turning before rifling into the roof of the net from outside the box, it didn't match his strike versus the Hammers for all-round importance.

He continued: “It was packed out, a full house, that was the maximum that could be in there and even my mum went down the pub to watch that game.

“You can ask any footballer, playing in the evening is nice, night games for all the supporters as well, they all lover that.

"The atmosphere was jam packed, everybody was trying to get more tickets than you could.

"It was an unbelievable, raining as well, windy, but everyone wanted to come in, and totally packed out even in that weather.

“For the occasion, as a one-off, that goal against Derby, that’s just a one-off that people appreciated for being in the ground that day, so that was a special one.

"As far as getting us to Wembley though and scoring three, that was very nice.”

Although going into the game, Town were underdogs, having already seen off Newcastle United in the competition, there was a confidence running through the side managed by David Pleat.

That was intensified after they had held the Hammers to a stalemate in front of their own fans just nine days earlier,

An in-form Oakes, who was on a run of six goals in 12 matches going into the tie, said: “For a nil-nil it was a decent game, it was just more hard work trying to keep up with the pace of them, as they were above us.

"I think we got through on adrenaline, that helped us, as I can't remember having too many chances in that game, but it was a decent enough game.

“We always did (think we could win), the way we were playing, as we’d beaten Newcastle and were high on confidence.

“To get a result there (Upton Park), nobody expected that, neither at Newcastle and West Ham, but we were playing well then as a team.,

"Pleaty was liking it as we were playing decent football.

“The whole team we had there was good. We had (Paul) Telfer, David Preece, Alan Harper was playing in the cup run, that was just a consistent midfield.

“We were playing well, really well altogether as well.

"Johnny Hartson and Thorpey (Tony Thorpe), me still being able to run with good knees at the time.

"We all liked to play football and we kind of worked well with each other as well.

“Under Pleaty, he was always expecting us to get the odd two results where we’d get four or five because he knew if we could all gel together then that would happen.

“It just all seemed to happen when we were playing in the cup run and we were consistent over that period.

"I was getting a few goals in that run and goals breed confidence, if you’re doing well the whole team picks up, it was a very good team back then.”

Looking back at the semi-final, Town were undone by Gavin Peacock on the day, as the midfielder scored twice to send the Blues through to a final they lost 4-0 to Manchester United.

Oakes conceded the side with former Town goalkeeper coach Dmitri Kharine and the likes of Dennis Wide and Craig Burley, had too much on the day.

He added: "I remember Pleaty even saying against Newcastle, we even sent Trevor Peake up for a corner, as although he was only five foot nine, they didn't have tall people.

"Whereas against Chelsea, they had (Tony) Cascarino upfront and then you had Peacock running off and we just couldn’t control that.

"As much as it was Glen Hoddle’s team and they liked to play football, they did have the advantage of the height, even against John Dreyer and Trevor Peake, Cascarino was just knocking it down for Peacock.

"(Eddie) Newton in midfield was just holding and Peacock was running on to it, we just didn’t have enough against them on the day.

"They were just a little step too far, but they were a good side back them.

"Turning up and feeling that atmosphere, it is unbelievable as I did a thing with David Preece before about going to Wembley, so I remember it.

"Every footballer will tell you that, the old Wembley, it does give you goosebumps, as it was a one-off.

"I’ve never watched the full match back, but we didn't let ourselves down.

"We tried our hardest, we did give it our all and they were just too good on the day.”