Match Report :
Ipswich Town, their first appearance in the final, against past masters Arsenal. Ipswich, ravaged by injury, from a footballing outpost against Arsenal, Double winners just 7 years before and the leading team in the capital.
Arsenal were odds on to take the cup but once the game kicked off it soon became clear that the cup was heading in an East Anglian direction.
Three times Ipswich hit the woodwork, John Wark and Paul Mariner displaying their international class. Kevin Beattie and George Burley both had headers superbley saved by Jennings and at the back Mick Mills and Allan Hunter kept the Arsenal attack at bay.
Clive Woods, the Ipswich winger, was in magical form as he toyed with the Gunners defence. Pat Rice had a nightmare in defence as Woods flashed past him again and again.
The breakthrough came after 77 minutes as Woods pushed a ball through to David Geddis who squared the ball after beating Sammy Nelson. Willie Young, the Arsenal centre back, tried to clear but only succeeded in laying it into the path of Roger Osborne who slammed it back into the net.
Osborne was substituted not soon after, part injury and part excitement being the cause.
Lineups for the Game :
Ipswich Town : 1.Cooper 2.Burley 3.Hunter 4.Beattie 5.Mills 6.Osborne 1 7.Talbot 8.Walk 9.Mariner 10.Geddis 11.Woods 12.Lambert (Replaced Osborne)
Arsenal : 1.Jennings 2.Rice 3.Nelson 4.Price 5.O'Leary 6.Young 7.Brady 8.Sunderland 9.MacDonald 10.Stapleton 11.Hudson 12.Rix (Replaced Brady)
Match Quotes :
"We were a credit to the nation today. That was English football played at its best"
Ipswich Captain Mick Mills
"The excitement of scoring was just too much for me. I was physically and mentally drained"
Roger Osborne
"I played Rubbish!"
Arsenals Liam Brady