1992 FA Cup final

1992 FA Cup final
Event1991–92 FA Cup
Date9 May 1992
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Man of the MatchSteve McManaman
RefereePhilip Don (Middlesex)
Attendance79,544
1991
1993

The 1992 FA Cup final was contested by Liverpool and Sunderland at Wembley. Liverpool won 2–0, with goals from Michael Thomas and Ian Rush.

Summary

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This was the first FA Cup Final to feature a Second Division team since Queens Park Rangers reached the final in 1982, and the last until Millwall played at Cardiff in 2004.

Liverpool had won the competition four times previously, and still had some players remaining from their FA Cup triumphs of 1986 and 1989, and had been England's leading club side for nearly twenty years leading up to 1990, winning a host of major trophies, including eleven league titles over a period of eighteen seasons. On the other hand, Sunderland's only silverware since World War II was winning the FA Cup in 1973, and the team had just finished 17th in the Second Division.

Despite being underdogs, Sunderland had the better of the first half. The team was full of running and kept Liverpool's strike force of Ian Rush and Dean Saunders at bay. Sunderland's best chance fell to John Byrne who miskicked when presented with a volley six yards out. Liverpool's best chance saw Michael Thomas lift his shot over the bar when pressured by the Sunderland goalkeeper Tony Norman.

Thomas redeemed himself after 47 minutes, when he scored the first goal of the game, following excellent work down the right wing by Steve McManaman, the youngest player on the pitch. Norman could only get fingertips to Thomas' superbly angled half-volley. Following this goal, the Reds had more confidence and started playing better football. After 67 minutes Saunders released Thomas, who sped into the penalty area. His progress was halted but the ball fell to Rush, who slotted the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. It was Rush's fifth goal in FA Cup finals at Wembley – a record. Liverpool continued to dominate for the rest of the game and Ray Houghton came close to scoring when he almost lobbed Norman from forty yards.

Liverpool captain Mark Wright lifted the FA Cup for Liverpool. During the presentation, the winning team was mistakenly given the loser's medals and Sunderland found themselves with winning medals. This was later rectified by the players themselves, on the pitch.

It was Liverpool's fifth triumph in the competition, and their only major trophy under the management of Graeme Souness, who was appointed a year earlier; while Souness picked the starting line-up, his assistant Ronnie Moran took charge of the match as Souness was still recovering from heart surgery. Souness resigned within two years of the FA Cup success, and Liverpool did not win the FA Cup again until 2001.

It was Sunderland's first FA Cup final since their triumph in 1973 and they have not reached the final since, although they reached the semi-finals in 2004.

Notable absences from the Liverpool side were John Barnes and Ronnie Whelan, who were ruled out with injury. Whelan, who left Liverpool two years later, never won another major trophy with Liverpool, although Barnes added the League Cup to his personal honours list during his five remaining seasons at Anfield.

Rob Jones was Liverpool's last remaining player from the game, finally leaving them in 1999 just before he retired. This was the same year that Kevin Ball became the last player from the Sunderland team in this game to leave the club.

The Sunderland squad was notable for being the most recent time that a side featured only players born in the British Isles in the FA Cup final.

Match details

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Liverpool2–0Sunderland
Thomas 47'
Rush 68'
Report
Attendance: 79,544
Liverpool
Sunderland
GK 1 Zimbabwe Bruce Grobbelaar
RB 2 England Rob Jones
LB 3 England David Burrows
CB 4 Scotland Steve Nicol
CM 5 Denmark Jan Mølby
CB 6 England Mark Wright (c)
CF 7 Wales Dean Saunders
RM 8 Republic of Ireland Ray Houghton
CF 9 Wales Ian Rush
LM 10 England Steve McManaman
CM 11 England Michael Thomas
Substitutes:
MF 12 England Mike Marsh
MF 14 England Mark Walters
Manager:
Scotland Graeme Souness
England Ronnie Moran (interim manager)
GK 1 Wales Tony Norman
RB 2 England Gary Owers
CB 3 England Kevin Ball
CB 4 England Gary Bennett
LB 5 Northern Ireland Anton Rogan
LM 6 England David Rush downward-facing red arrow 69'
CM 7 England Paul Bracewell (c)
CF 8 England Peter Davenport
CM 9 England Gordon Armstrong downward-facing red arrow 77'
CF 10 Republic of Ireland John Byrne
RM 11 England Brian Atkinson
Substitutes:
DF 12 England Paul Hardyman upward-facing green arrow 69'
FW 14 England Warren Hawke upward-facing green arrow 77'
Manager:
England Malcolm Crosby

Man of the match

Match officials

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Replay if scores still level.
  • Two named substitutes.
  • Maximum of two substitutions.

Sources

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