LFC STATS / A Independent Liverpool Football Club Website |
FA Cup Final Winners 1991-1992 |
Liverpool - (Thomas, Rush) | Grobbelaar, Jones, Burrows, Nicol, Molby, Wright, Saunders, Houghton, Rush, McManaman, Thomas |
Sunderland | Norman, Owers, Ball, Bennett, Rogan, Rush (Hardyman), Bracewell, Davenport, Armstrong, Byrne, Atkinson (Hawke) |
Referee: | P Don |
Attendance: | 79,544 |
MATCH REPORT
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.
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. Despite being underdogs, Sunderland had the better of the first half. The team was full of running and kept Liverpool's strikeforce of Ian Rush and Dean Saunders at bay.
Sunderland's best chance fell to John Byrne who somehow miss-kicked when presented with a volley 6 yards out. Liverpool's best chance saw Michael Thomas lift his shot over the bar when pressured by the Rokerites 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. Tony Norman could only get fingertips to Thomas's superbly angled half-volley.
Following this goal, the Reds had more confidence and started playing better football. On 67 minutes Dean Saunders released Michael Thomas who sped into the penalty area. His progress was halted but the ball fell to Ian Rush who slotted the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. It was Rush's 5th 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 Tony Norman from 40 yards.
Liverpool captain Mark Wright held aloft 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 would be their only major trophy under the management of Graeme Souness, who was appointed a year earlier and would resign within two years of the FA Cup success.
Liverpool did not win the FA Cup until nine years later. It was Sunderland's first FA Cup final since their triumph 19 years earlier and they have not reached the final since, although they did reach the semi-final 12 years later. Notable absences from the Liverpool side were John Barnes and Ronnie Whelan, who were ruled out with injuries and left unable to add to their already long list of major honours won with the Reds.
Whelan (who left Liverpool two years later) never won another major trophy with Liverpool, although Barnes would add the Football 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 as a player. This was the same year that Kevin Ball became the last player from the Sunderland team in this game to leave the club.
Date : 06/01/1992 |
Round : R3 |
Match Summary : Sky TV covered this game which was a potential banana skin but the Reds eased through. John Barnes was back from injury and was back with a bang as he grabbed a hat-trick. Steve McManaman grabbed the first goal early on and then as the half approached the half hour mark Barnes struck twice. His first was a peach of a goal flicked through the back of his legs. He completed his hat-trick just before the end of the game with a penalty kick won after Rob Jones was brought down. |
Liverpool 4 - Crewe Alexandra 0 |
Attendance : 7,457 |
Team : Grobbelaar, Jones, Molby, Nicol, Wright, Tanner, Saunders, Houghton (Marsh 45), McManaman, Barnes, Thomas |
Scorers : McManaman (10), Barnes 3 (26, 28, pen 89) |
Date : 05/02/1992 |
Round : R4 |
Match Summary : The Reds faced a tricky trip to Twerton Park in the fourth round of the Cup and took the tie to a replay. Rovers packed the ground to their highest ever for this one. Dean Saunders scored for the Reds toards the end of the first half. |
Liverpool 1 - Bristol Rovers 1 |
Attendance : 9,464 |
Team : Grobbelaar, Jones, Burrows, Marsh, Wright, Tanner, Saunders, Houghton, Walters, Molby, McManaman |
Scorers : Saunders (38) |
Date : 11/02/1992 |
Round : R4r |
Match Summary : Having scored a one all draw at Twerton Park the Reds finished the job at Anfield with a 2-1 win over Bristol Rovers at Anfield. Both Reds goals came in the seond half. |
Liverpool 2 - Bristol Rovers 1 |
Attendance : 30,142 |
Team : Grobbelaar, Jones, Burrows, Nicol, Wright, Marsh, Saunders, Houghton, Rosenthal (Rush), Redknapp, McManaman |
Scorers : McManaman (50), Saunders (77) |
Date : 16/02/1992 |
Round : R5 |
Match Summary : Having only beaten Bristol Rovers on the Tuesday night the Reds were back in FA Cup action that weekend with a long trip to Portman Road. A goalless draw meant yet another game for the Reds though. |
Liverpool 0 - Ipswich Town 0 |
Attendance : 26,140 |
Team : Grobbelaar, Jones, Burrows, Nicol, Wright, Marsh, Saunders, Houghton, Rush, Redknapp (Kozma), McManaman |
Scorers : |
Date : 26/02/1992 |
Round : R5r |
Match Summary : The Reds went through in this one but it was a cracking game which was only resolved by an extra-time winner from Steve McManaman. The Reds' first goal came bang on half time from Ray Houghton and then two goals in as many minutes in extra-time saw the Reds saw the REds rescue a 2-1 loss and go through to the quarter finals. This tie at least saw the rare sight of Istvan Kozma in a Reds shirt. |
Liverpool 3 - Ipswich Town 2 |
Attendance : 27,355 |
Team : Grobbelaar, Jones, Harkness (Kozma), Nicol, Wright, Marsh, Saunders, Houghton, Walters (Rosenthal 83), Molby, McManaman |
Scorers : Houghton (45), Molby (98), McManaman (100) |
Date : 08/03/1992 |
Round : R6 |
Match Summary : The Reds were by now starting to think of winning the cup in their centenary year and welcomed Aston Villa to Anfield in 1992. Villa would prove to be the Reds' only top flight oppositionen route to the cup. A Sunday game on the TV saw Michael Thomas strike midway through the second half to edge the Reds on to the semi final and for the first time in three rounds didn't need a replay to do so. |
Liverpool 1 - Aston Villa 0 |
Attendance : 29,109 |
Team : Grobbelaar, Jones, Venison, Nicol, Whelan, Wright, Saunders, Houghton, Thomas (Molby 85), Barnes, McManaman (Rosenthal 77) |
Scorers : Thomas (67) |
Date : 05/04/1992 |
Round : SF |
Match Summary : The Reds made the long trip to London and a neutral pitch to play Portsmouth in what was seen as a must win game for the Reds. Portsmouth had other ideas though. In fact after a goalless ninety minutes Pompey took the lead through Darren Anderton only for Ronnie Whelan to score late on. Whelan knocked in a rebound from a John Barnes free kick and was off celebrating before the ball even crossed the line. A replay yet again for the Reds but this time nearer home. |
Liverpool 1 - Portsmouth 1 |
Attendance : 41,869 |
Team : Grobbelaar, Jones, Burrows (Venison), Nicol, Whelan, Wright, McManaman, Houghton (Marsh), Rush, Barnes, Thomas |
Scorers : Whelan (117) |
Date : 13/04/1992 |
Round : SFr |
Match Summary : As with the first match Portsmouth were not making it easy for the Reds and this time neither side could score a single goal between them in the whole 120 minutes of the match. So it came down to penalties. John barnes made it 1-0, Ian Rush sent it to 2-1 before Dean Saunders made it 3-1 and the Reds were on their way to Wembley to face Sunderland of the first division. The shoot out was the very first semi final to be decided in this way. |
Liverpool 0 - Portsmouth 0 |
Attendance : 40,077 |
Team : Grobbelaar, Jones (Walters), Burrows, Nicol, Whelan (Venison), Wright, Saunders, Molby, Rush, Barnes, Thomas |
Scorers : |