Greatest FA Cup Finals

The "Matthews Final," as it came to be known, was one of the greatest FA Cup finals of all time. Bolton had taken the lead through Nat Lofthouse after just 75 seconds. Mortenson replied on 35 minutes but as the game entered its final quarter Blackpool were trailing 3-1, and looked beaten

Then with 22 minutes to go Stanley Matthews delivered a great cross for Mortensen to score and on 89 minutes. Mortensen then drove home a fee-kick to complete his hat-trick and level the scores.

The Tangerines were not finished yet though - with seconds remaining Matthews beat his marker and pulled back a diagonal pass for Perry to score the winner.

Matthews was 38 at the time and played on until the age of 50.

Preston had just missed out on promotion and were outsiders against their top-flight opponents but took the lead in the 10th minute through Holden.

Sissons equalized a minute later but Preston restored their lead 5 minutes before half-time. Back came West Ham with a second equalizer from Hurst on 52.

Thereafter the Hammers slowly took control of the game but had to wait until two minutes into injury to score the winner.

Underdogs Sheffield Wednesday took an early lead through Jim McCalliog and looked to be cruising when Ford made it 2-0 on 57 minutes.

But Everton refused to lie down and rallied to stage one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the cup. With stand-in striker Trebilcock bagging a brace, the Toffees scored  three goals in 16 minutes to snatch the cup from a stunned Wednesday side.

This marathon final pitted two of the most talented teams of the era against each other. The first match had finished 2-2 after extra time at Wembley, so a replay was needed in the final for the first time since 1912.

In a pulsating, physical game at Old Trafford, Leeds went ahead through Mick Jones ten minutes before half time. Osgood equalised with a sensational diving header and it was still 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes.

Extra-time was needed again and with 16 minutes remaining Ian Hutchinson sent over one of his trademark long throws for David Webb to head home the winner.

Leeds were FA Cup holders and one of the best sides in Europe when they took on a Sunderland side that had narrowly avoided relegation to the Third Division.

On paper it looked a mismatch, but the underdogs took a surprise lead through Ian Porterfield on 31 minutes. Still, with two thirds of the match to play, it seemed they were only delaying the inevitable defeat.

As expected Leeds began dominating the game and pushing hard for an equaliser, but as time ticked by they were becoming increasingly desperate.

When their chance did arrive it produced a magnificent double save from Sunderland keeper Jim Montgomery to  deny first Trevor Cherry, then Peter Lorimer.

Sunderland held on to produce one of the greatest FA Cup final shocks and became the first Division Two side to win the cup since West Brom in 1931.

Arsenal cruised into a 2-0 lead and looked to be heading for a routine victory with 5 minutes left on the clock.

Then on 86 minutes Gordon McQueen pulled one back and, two minutes later, United looked like pulling off one of the greatest FA Cup final comebacks when Sammy McIlroy's fine individual goal had them level.

But, just when extra time seemed inevitable, Rix lofted a cross over the head of United keeper Bailey, and Alan Sunderland was left with the easiest of tap-ins to win it.

The first game had been a dull affair, with Tommy  Hutchinson scoring at both ends of the pitch. The replay has gone down as one of the great Wembley finals.

In a pulsating end to end affair Spurs took the lead through Villa only for City to equalize via a spectacular goal from Steve MacKenzie.

City then went ahead through a Kevin Reeves penalty which was cancelled out by Garth Crookes on 70 minutes.

But the best moment of the game was yet to come as Tottenham's Argentine star Ricky Villa produced one of the greatest FA Cup final goals, jinking past Caton, Ranson and then Caton for again before slipping the ball past Joe Corrigan - a fitting way to decide a great final.

Spurs had never lost a final going into this one and were widely tipped to beat Coventry. And they started the stronger, with Clive Allen putting them ahead in the 2nd minute.

The lead, however, was short-lived - Bennett pulled one back just seven minutes later.

Mabbutt put Spurs back in front just before half-time and it stayed that way until Keith Houchen equalized with a stunning diving header.

With scores level on 90 minutes the match headed for extra time. The winner arrived on 96 minutes, Lloyd McGrath's cross striking Gary Mabbutt's knee and looping over Clemence into the Spurs net for an own goal.

On paper, another mismatch, but United and Palace served up a six goal thriller in front of the first ever all-seated crowd at Wembley.

Palace took an early lead but United equalised on 35 minutes, then took the lead on 62.

Steve Coppell's response was to send on Ian Wright, just recovered from a broken leg, and the striker responded with a 73rd minute equalizer.

Then in the first period of extra time Wright volleyed home to give Palace the lead, only for Mark Hughes to save the match for United.

The replay was a dull, ill-tempered affair which United won 1-0 courtesy of a goal from full-back, Lee Martin.

The last match played at the Millenium produced one of the greatest FA Cup finals, characterised by Steven Gerrard's match-winning performance.

West Ham opened the scoring after 21 minutes via a Jamie Carragher own goal and went two up through Dean Ashton on 28 minutes.

Back came Liverpool through Cisse, before Gerrard drew them level in the 54th minute.

The lead was short -lived. On 63 minutes Paul Konchesky sent over a speculative cross which none of his team-mates had any chance of reaching. Somehow the ball sailed over Reina and ended up in the Liverpool net.

West Ham had their lead back and held it until then final minute when the ball fell to Gerrard some 35-yards out. With the last kick of the game the midfielder unleashed a thunderbolt of a shot that flew past Hislop into the bottom corner.

Marlon Harewood had a chance to win it for the Hammers in extra-time, but fluffed his shot so the match went to penalties - with Liverpool winning 3-1.