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THE FA CUP
Leicester and Luton can be added to the list of classic comebacks in The FA Cup.
Leicester and Luton can be added to the list of classic comebacks in The FA Cup.

Classic comebacks

Luton Town 3-5 Liverpool
Leicester City 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur
The FA Cup Third Round Proper
Winning clubs receive £40,000





7 January 2006
Luton Town 3-5 Liverpool

The Champions of Europe looked shell shocked when Kevin Nicholls made it 3-1, but they produced an incredible response.


8 January 2006
Leicester City 3-2 Tottenham

Watch an amazing comeback from Leicester City with a late goal from Mark De Vries knocking Martin Jol's side out of The Cup.



A large part of an amazing weekend of the Third Round of The FA Cup were two fantastic comebacks, with Liverpool and Leicester fighting back to victory after looking down an out.

Leicester City, who have struggled of late in the Championship, found themsleves two goals down to high-flying Tottenham Hotspur but managed to come from behind to win - and send their fans delirious.

The European Champions Liverpool were also struggling, with Luton's attacking determination in full stride they trailed 3-1. With just half an hour to go it seemed that Rafael Benitez's team was heading out of The FA Cup at the Third Round stage once more.

But following the introduction of Florent Sinama-Pongolle the game was completely turned on it's head. Liverpool surged ahead and won a classic Cup-tie 5-3, with an amazing final goal coming from Xabi Alonso inside his own half!

But over the years have their been better comebacks than these games, how about these?

Tottenham Hotspur 3 (King 2, Keane 19, Ziege 43)
Manchester City 4 (Distin 48, Bosvelt 61, Wright-Phillips 80, Macken 90) 

No scriptwriter would dare pen such a drama. Manchester City, three goals and a man down at half-time, were on the ropes before they staged one of the most magnificent FA Cup comebacks in history to stun their hosts, Tottenham Hotspur.

It all started when Distin scored an apparent consolation goal on 47 minutes. From 25 yards, Michael Tarnat looked set to unleash one of his thunderbolts but rather than testing Keller, he knocked a teasing chip towards the far post which was met by the head of Distin.

It still seemed impossible, but with Bosvelt and Wright-Phillips levelling the scores the teams were headed for a replay.

When John Macken, running in at the back post, stooped low and headed the ball back across the face of goal and into the bottom right corner of Keller's goal - the comeback was complete.


Tranmere Rovers 4 (Rideout 59, 71, 80; Barlow 83)
Southampton 3 (Kachloul 12, Tessem 26, Richards 45)

Still comparatively fresh in the memory is Tranmere Rovers’ 4-3 Fifth Round replay win against Southampton in 2001. Glenn Hoddle’s Saints looked to be home and dry after Kachloul, Tessem and Richards had put them 3-0 up.

Then big striker Paul Rideout, scorer of Everton’s winner in the 1995 Final, started a fight-back that sent Prenton Park fans behind the goal into raptures. Rideout notched a hat-trick and Stuart Barlow completed the scoring.

Blackpool 4 (Mortensen 35, 68, 89; Perry 90)
Bolton Wanderers 3 (Lofthouse 2, Moir 40, Bell 55)

Cup Finals tend to be memorable too and the games in 1953 (naturally) and 1966 stick out for their fluctuating fortunes.

Bolton Wanderers, even with an injured "passenger" on the wing, led Blackpool 3-1 with 22 minutes left of what came to be known as the "Matthews Final".

Stan Mortensen, Matthews’ great pal, then scored twice and the maestro set up the last-gasp winner for Bill Perry. A fantastic end to the Coronation Year Final.

Everton 3 (Trebilcock 59, 64; Temple 74)
Sheffield Wednesday 2 (McCalliog 4, Ford 57)

The 1966 Final between Everton and Sheffield Wednesday wasn’t bad either. Wednesday were 2-0 up after 57 minutes, following clinical finishes from Jim McCalliog and David Ford.

Then Cornishman Mike Trebilcock, whose name wasn’t even in the match programme, scored twice in five minutes for the Merseysiders and Derek Temple swept them in front at 3-2 after Gerry Young’s mistake.

Newcastle United 4 (Tudor, Moncur, McDermott, Craig)
Nottingham Forest 3 (Bowyer, O'Kane, Lyall)

One of the great Cup comebacks was achieved in a tie that was later ordered to be replayed.

A highly emotional St James’ Park crowd saw their Newcastle United favourites go 3-1 down to Second Division Nottingham Forest in the Sixth Round in 1974.

There was a pitch invasion involving hundreds of leaping youngsters and, when play resumed, United set about trying to reduce the arrears. Moncur, McDermott (penalty) and Craig netted to make the final score 4-3. Forest, clearly intimidated, earned a replay ordered by The FA.

Aston Villa 2 (Taylor 51; P Neville og 54)
Manchester United 3 (Solskjaer 77; van Nistelrooy 80, 82)

Manchester United have made comebacks in all sorts of matches. Their best-known came in the last couple of minutes of the 1999 Champions’ League Final in Barcelona.

In The FA Cup they were 0-2 down to Aston Villa in a Third Round tie at Villa Park in 2002 before Ruud van Nistelrooy got to work. And there have been lots of other comebacks over the years, perhaps forgotten by everyone except those who were actually there.

We can't think of any Cup comeback to equal Charlton's 1957 feat of coming back from 1-5 to 7-6 in the last 28 minutes of a League game with ten men. 

What is the greatest FA Cup comeback of all time in your opinion? To send us your views click here


"I have been a Millwall Supporter for 21 years and in that time I have seen a lot of great games, many of those being played at the Old Den.

"One game that sticks in my mind, although it wasn't in The FA Cup, was against Sheffield Wednesday when we were 2-0 down at half time.

"In the second half an inspired performance by Teddy Sheringham led us to win 4-2, the winner scored by Alex Rae. It was so good that I bought the match on video from the club shop!"

David Foster

CLASSIC COMEBACKS
11 January 2006

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