Huddersfield Town game up there with the real thrillers

Apr 23 2009 By Huddersfield Examiner

April 1990: Crystal Palace 4 Liverpool 3

A classic FA Cup semi-final saw underdogs Palace take revenge on a Liverpool side that had thrashed them 9-0 earlier that season. Liverpool led at half-time through Ian Rush but Palace equalised early in the second half through Mark Bright. In the 70th minute Gary O’Reilly bundled the ball home to give the Eagles the lead but with eight minutes left Steve McMahon fired in an equaliser. A minute later John Barnes converted a penalty for Liverpool and the tie seemed over. But in a frenetic finale Andy Gray headed Palace back into the match to take the game into extra-time. Four minutes in and Alan Pardew headed what would prove to be the decisive goal, handing Palace a famous victory.

November 2004: Tottenham 4 Arsenal 5

The bitter north London rivals produced one of their most exciting encounters as the goals flew in at White Hart Lane. Noureddine Naybet volleyed Spurs ahead before goals from Thierry Henry, Lauren and Patrick Viera put Arsenal 3-1 up with an hour gone. A sweet strike from Jermain Defoe put Spurs back in the game before Freddie Ljungberg restored Arsenal’s two-goal cushion. Ledley King headed Spurs back into contention before Robert Pires scored a fifth for the Gunners. Freddie Kanoute clawed another back for Tottenham but they were unable to find another goal.

May 1953: Blackpool 4 Bolton 3

In the game popularly known as the ’Matthews final’ it was actually Stan Mortensen who scored a match-winning hat-trick. Bolton went ahead through Nat Lofthouse after only a minute but Mortensen levelled the scores 10 minutes before half-time. Bolton scored two either side of half-time before Blackpool, inspired by the trickery and guile of 38-year-old Stanley Matthews, began a comeback. They pulled back a goal when Matthews’ cross was converted by Mortensen, who then slammed home an equaliser from a free-kick with a minute remaining. With time running out Matthews swept forward one final time before pulling the ball back to Bill Perry, who fired in a famous winner.

May 1998: Charlton 4 Sunderland 4 (Charlton win 7-6 on penalties)

Boyhood Sunderland fan Clive Mendonca broke Mackem hearts with a hat-trick for Charlton in the Division One play-off final. Mendonca opened the scoring at Wembley before Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips put the Wearsiders into the lead. Mendonca equalised on 71 minutes only for Quinn to restore Sunderland’s lead two minutes later. Defender Richard Rufus headed home with five minutes left for Charlton to take the game into extra-time, where Nicky Summerbee gave Sunderland the lead for a third time. But Mendonca scored his third shortly after to take the game to penalties - where Charlton dramatically triumphed 7-6 after a Michael Gray miss.

February 2004: Tottenham 3 Manchester City 4

White Hart Lane has seen more than its fair share of fantastic games over the years and this FA Cup tie was no exception. By half-time Man City had conceded three goals, seen Joey Barton sent off and replaced their injured talisman Nicholas Anelka with Jon Macken. But the second half saw City defy the odds magnificently as goals from Sylvain Distin, Paul Bosvelt and Shaun Wright-Phillips levelled the game before sub Macken headed an unlikely last minute winner. City manager Keegan said afterwards: "They’ll talk about this game long after we are dead and gone."