Source: Daily_Mail
THE LIST: Sportsmail's top 50 FA Cup matches of all time - Nos 30-21
HAVE YOUR SAY... What is your favourite FA Cup match from down the years? The FA Cup is back this weekend as the race for Wembley hots up. There have already been a number of unforgettable moments from this season's competiton and there are plenty of twists and turns to come. But what is your top memory from the Cup's long history? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Who said FA Cup romance was dead? [LNB]If anyone doubted themagic of the globe's most famous club trophy then this year'scompetition has proved those doubters wildly wrong. [LNB]Liverpool? Out to Championship strugglers Reading. [LNB]Manchester United? Out to League One Leeds United.[LNB]TheFA Cup has come back with a bang this year to add more stories ofgiant-killings, shocks and upsets to the endless anecdotes of days goneby.[LNB]And Sportsmail have come up with our top 50 ever FA Cup matches.[LNB]Do you agree with our selection? Click on the panel on the right to have your say. [LNB]Read Nos. 40-31 30. Everton 3 Sheffield Wednesday 2 (1966) Arriving at Wembley as favourites is certainly no guarantee of victory and Everton looked paralysed with fear during the opening hour of this final, conceding two goals and on the verge of defeat.[LNB]What made the score all the more remarkable is that the Toffees had sailed past Sunderland, Bedford Town, Coventry City, Manchester City, without conceding a goal but Wednesday's second only served to galvanize their opponents.[LNB]Mike Trebilcock struck twice in five minutes, restoring parity and Derek Temple's 74th-minute strike proved to be decisive.[LNB] Cup kings: Everton's Alex Scott (second left) and Jimmy Gabriel (right) crown Brian Harris with the trophy[LNB]29. Manchester United 2 Liverpool 1 (1985) You know what you're going to get when these two sides face each other - a full-blooded contest, neither side conceding an inch and no lack of drama.[LNB]And this FA Cup semi-final replay at Maine Road certainly didn't fail to deliver. [LNB]After the first clash finished 2-2 after extra time at Goodison Park, United won the tie with a superb chip from Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes' drive from just inside the area to set up their final victory over Everton four weeks later.[LNB] Heaven help us: Mark Hughes celebrates his goal against Liverpool[LNB]28. Derby 3 Sheffield Wednesday 3 (1993)Premier League side Sheffield Wednesday were enjoying an season of unprecedented success in the cups but Division One Derby weren't interested in becoming just a footnote in the history books as they pushed the Owls all the way in this quarter-final clash at the Baseball Ground. [LNB]The visitors led 2-1 at half-time through John Sheridan and Paul Warhurst, Marco Gabbiadini scored for the Rams who pushed the top-flight side all the way in the second half with goals from Dave Kitson and Shane Nicholson but the game ended in a draw. [LNB]Wednesday won the replay 1-0 at Hillsborough and eventually made it to their second cup final of the season but both ended in defeat for Trevor Francis' side, both to Arsenal. [LNB] On target: Paul Warhurst[LNB]27. Arsenal 1 LIverpool 2 (2001)The FA Cup's sabbatical at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff gave us some wonderful finals, but none quite as dramatic as this. Arsenal totally dominated proceedings and were left cursing missed chance after missed chance when Michael Owen won the cup for Liverpool almost single-handedly. [LNB]Freddie Ljungberg had given the Gunners a deserved 1-0 lead with 20 minutes left but Owen's strike in the 83rd-minute levelled things up and then he stole the winner with a minute left after skinning Lee Dixon for pace and sliding the ball home across David Seaman to steal the cup from Arsenal's grasp.[LNB] Comeback kings: Liverpool snatched the 2001 FA Cup from Arsenal's grasp[LNB]26. Manchester United 3 Crystal Palace 3 (1990)Palace had won through to this final, the first in an all-seater Wembley, after beating Liverpool in the semi-final (more of that later in our List) and United had to overcome Second Division Oldham in a replay.[LNB]Appearing in their first FA Cup Final, Steve Coppell's side came within 17 minutes of lifting the famous old trophy in a classic against a Manchester United team which had cost £13 million to assemble - a fortune in those days.[LNB]The underdogs took the lead through Gary O'Reilly, then Bryan Robson scored with a near-post header and, once level, United pressed forward - Mark Hughes scored his first goal of the campaign in the 62nd minute but then Steve Coppell sent Ian Wright on, who changed the game and made himself a household name. [LNB]Wright's goal in the 73rd minute forced extra-time and, two minutes ater the re-start he had a second they were trailing 3-2 and in touching distance of an upset but Hughes scored his second with just eight minutes left to force a replay which United won in a much less memorable game, 1-0.[LNB] We're ahead: Crystal Palace's Ian Wright volleys past Manchester United goalkeeper Jim Leighton to give his team a 3-2 lead[LNB]25. Reading 2 Manchester United 3 (2007)Any late-comers would be left cursing their tardiness after United came flying out of the traps and settled this game in the opening six minutes as newly-promoted Reading were given a lesson in clinical finishing in this fifth-round replay.[LNB]Gabriel Heinze opened the scoring after two minutes with a 25-yard shot which slipped under Adam Federici's body, Louis Saha fired home a volley, before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer slotted in the third.[LNB]It was game, set and match before any of the players even had the chance to break sweat, well, almost.[LNB]The Royals pulled one back through Dave Kitson's header before Leroy Lita's 84th-minute goal ensured a thrilling finish.[LNB] Bring it on: Reading's Leroy Lita celebrates his goal against United[LNB] [LNB]24. Liverpool 1 Reading 2 (2010) The backdrop to this game wasn't pretty for Liverpool; infighting in the boardroom, mounting debts; failure to commence building a new stadium, the owner's son sending crass emails to fans and the early exits from major competitions was all compounded by yet another embarrassing defeat.[LNB]Rafa's side were beaten, and deservedly so, in this third-round FA Cup replay by a Reading team who arrived at Anfield under caretaker management and languishing fourth from bottom of the Championship but played the better football and departed with a famous victory.[LNB]An injury time penalty from Gylfi Sigurdsson and then Shane Long's header with 10 minutes remaining stunned the Kop and forced Benitez to find yet more post-match excuses.[LNB] It's there: Shane Long scores for Reading[LNB]23. Manchester United 4 Blackpool 2 (1948) The two Lancashire giants met each other in this FA Cup final at Wembley which pitted Matt Busby's Babes against Blackpool's Stans - Mortensen and Matthews.[LNB]The final lived up to its billing, Blackpool opened the scoring with a disputed penalty and Jack Rowley's equalizer for United was cancelled out when Mortensen restored the Seasiders' advantage right on half-time.[LNB]The second half was all United's - Rowley doubled his tally to level the game and Stan Pearson made it 3-2 before John Anderson's strike, eight minutes from time sealed Busby's first trophy with the club.[LNB] Hold him high: Manchester United captain Johnny Carey is held aloft with the Cup[LNB]22. Leeds 1 Arsenal 0 (1972) The 1972 final was the centennial match of the competition, Leeds were in the charts with Leeds United FC by, no surprise, Leeds United .[LNB]The game's defining moment came in the 53rd minute when Mick Jones advanced down the right and put over an excellent cross which Allan 'Sniffer' Clarke headed into the net from fully 5 yards. It proved enough to lift the FA Cup for the first and only time in Leeds proud history.[LNB]Mick Jones finished the match with his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder following a fall sending over another cross.[LNB] [LNB] We won the cup: Match-winner Allan Clarke (left), David Harvey, Bill Bremner and Jack Charlton celebrate their 1972 success[LNB]21. Manchester United 2 Arsenal 3 (1979) Here's the scene, then - at Wembley Stadium, Arsenal are cruising to a 2-0 win but then, with four minutes remaining, United decided to make a fight if it.[LNB]Two goals in three minutes from Gordon McQueen and Sammy McIlroy brought the game level and heading for extra-time, but straight from the restart, Liam Brady and Graham Rix combined down the left wing and crossed to the far post where Alan Sunderland slid in the winner to cap the most remarkable finish ever seen in an FA Cup final.[LNB]Sunderland set off to celebrate - and we hear he is, to this day, still sprinting.[LNB] Sunderland 1, Manchester Unitred 2, Arsenal 3: Alan Sunderland wheels away after scoring the Gunners' last-gasp winner[LNB] [LNB][LNB] [LNB]The best of the rest of The ListSportsmail's top 50 golden oldies in British footballSportsmail's top 50 Premier League players of the decadeSportsmail's top 50 last-gasp goals in British footballSportsmail's top 50 footballers never to play at the World CupSportsmail's top 50 sporting feuds of all timeSportsmail's 50 great sports photographsSportsmail's top 50 commentators of all timeSportsmail's top 50 sporting venuesSportsmail's top 50 performers of the season so farSportsmail's top 50 all-time managers in BritainSportsmail's top 50 goal poachersSportsmail's top 50 footballing traitorsSportsmail's top 50 FA Cup heroesSportsmail's greatest Wembley finals in historySportsmail's top 50 biggest hitters in cricketSportsmail's top 50 British & Irish LionsSportsmail's top 50 Ashes heroes [LNB] Explore more:People:Liam Brady, David Seaman, Adam Federici, Trevor Francis, Louis Saha, Jack Charlton, Michael Owen, MARK HUGHES, Alex Scott, BRYAN ROBSON, Ian Wright, Leroy Lita, Steve Coppell, Dave Kitson, Gabriel Heinze, Graham Rix, Matt Busby, John SheridanPlaces:Liverpool, Leeds, Cardiff
