Parker's Stoke Stunner Takes City One Step Closer To The Top Flight
In the present day, the two sides are separated by one division in English football's pyramid, but it was Stoke who held a marginal advantage over the Foxes in 1996.
Following a goalless draw at Filbert Street in the old First Division's Play-Off Semi-Finals, fourth-placed Stoke hosted fifth-placed Leicester in the decider at the Victoria Ground on 15 May.
Lou Macari's Staffordshire outfit were favourites after doing the double over City across the 1995/96 season, but their visitors were revitalised under Martin O'Neill's guidance...
Stoke City 0 Leicester City 1
First Division Play-Off Semi-Final, Second Leg
Victoria Ground
15 May, 1996
Courtesy of a Muzzy Izzet winner at Watford on the final day of the regulation First Division campaign, Leicester City headed to Stoke City on 15 May, one game from Wembley.
However, after missing out on victory in the first leg on home soil, onlookers considered the Potters as the most likely outfit to emerge victorious and face Crystal Palace in the showpiece final.
A fraught atmosphere greeted both sides at kick-off and it was Stoke who went close first as forward Mike Sheron took down a forward ball and curled it wide of Kevin Poole's net in front of the Blue Army.
Leicester were initially limited to fleeting opportunities, with home goalkeeper Mark Prudhoe preventing Emile Heskey a headed chance, before Izzet's long-ranger was easily caught, despite swaying in the wind.
When Scott Taylor located Heskey in space, clear of Stoke's backline, the visiting supporters briefly thought their side had taken the lead, only to discover the Academy graduate's effort had struck the side netting.
Mike Whitlow also hit an audacious effort from distance over the bar before the interval as the Foxes headed in at the break enthused by the nature of their performance against the Potters.
Within seconds of the restart, Leicester were in front. It came about as Heskey initially held up the ball in the area and scooped it up, sending it to the edge of Prudhoe's crowded six-yard box.
Midfielder Garry Parker came crashing in, unmarked, to send a fearsome volley into the top corner, before racing towards the Foxes faithful to toast an unlikely City opener in Staffordshire.
Parker's first competitive strike in almost nine months was even more significant with Stoke knowing an equaliser would set up a scenario whereby any away goal scored in extra-time would count double.
The pressure was on the home side to prevent that eventuality from playing out as they proceeded to launch a bid to not only restore parity on the scoresheet, but to settle the clash in normal time.
An assault on City's goal began when Mark Devlin hit a scuffed effort wide, while Sheron was denied by Poole on the counter attack, before Martin Carruthers sent a low drive the wrong side of the post.
The clock eventually ticked down and, with Parker gesturing to the away contingent of supporters for one last push of inspiration, referee Gurnam Singh's full-time whistle finally signalled the end of an exhausting evening.
It would be Leicester City who would meet Crystal Palace at Wembley in the Club's fourth play-off final in five years on 27 May. Another step had been taken towards a now-fabled era in the Foxes' history.
City: Poole, Whitlow, Walsh, Watts, Grayson, Lennon, Izzet, Parker, Taylor, Claridge, Heskey.
Goal: Parker 46'.
Attendance: 21,037.