IT’S THE GUNNERS’ LEAGUE CUP – AGAIN!
Arsenal 3 (Spacey 52, 53, Banks 83)
Tranmere Rovers 0
FA Premier League Cup final 2000-01
Deva Stadium, Chester
1 April 2001
Two Marieanne Spacey goals in 60 second half seconds set up Arsenal for a fourth successive League Cup triumph.
Tranmere Rovers, contesting their first ever major trophy final, battled resolutely but rarely looked a match for their opponents.
Victory was wrapped up for Arsenal with a late goal by Spacey’s striker partner Angela Banks.
Spacey had gone close to opening the scoreline 10 minutes before the interval, her curling shot hitting the Tranmere post.
But seven minutes after the break the England forward neatly tucked the ball into the net from a Casey Stoney pass.
Almost from the re-start Spacey made an interception to race through and double her tally.
And it was a Spacey free-kick that led to Banks volleying home her 35th goal of the season seven minutes from time.
It was the seventh occasion in the 10-season history of the League Cup that Arsenal had become champions and manager Vic Akers said: “We are delighted to win the trophy once again.
“It seems to always be the one that we manage to keep our hands on.”
A sad day for Tranmere was summed up by star player Sue Smith, just 21 at the time but already an England international for four years.
Smith said: “We’re really disappointed (but) I think the best team won. Arsenal were phenomenal today and they have been all season – I can see them doing the treble.”
The Rovers winger was correct – Arsenal did indeed go on to do the treble, beating Fulham in the FA Cup final and then clinching the National League title.
Arsenal (3-5-2): Byrne (Higgs 35); Wooliscroft, Stoney, Harwood; Pealling, Ludlow (Thorpe 35), Williams, Grant (Maggs 35), Wheatley; Spacey, Banks.
Tranmere Rovers (4-4-2): Foster; Blackburn (Carter 53), Cook, Howarth, Waring; Merola (Edwards 77), Campbell, Preston, Davies; Smith, Dunn (Holden 67).
Referee: E. M. Evans.
Assistant referees: C. Plimblott, M. Highton.
RESULTS
Preliminary Round
10/9/2000
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Birmingham City
Langford 1-3 Ilkeston Town
First Round
24/9/2000
Newcastle Town 0-14 Charlton Athletic
Doncaster Belles 7-2 Garswood Saints
Everton 7-0 Huddersfield Town
Tranmere Rovers 7-1 Chelsea
Millwall Lionesses 3-2 Barry Town (AET)
Cardiff City 5-1 Coventry City
Oldham Curzon 4-5 Wimbledon
Brighton & Hove 4-0 Newport County
Barnet 7-1 Ipswich Town
Leeds United 6-0 Ilkeston Town
Wembley Mill Hill 0-3 Bangor City
Sunderland 0-7 Arsenal
Reading Royals 0-6 Birmingham City
Berkhamsted Town 4-3 Barking
Aston Villa 2-3 Liverpool
Southampton Saints 5-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Second Round
29/10/2000
Cardiff City 0-5 Barnet
5/11/2000
Arsenal 5-1 Southampton Saints
Bangor City 3-5 Charlton Athletic
Birmingham 0-4 Everton
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Tranmere Rovers
Wimbledon 0-1 Leeds United
11/2/2001
Millwall Lionesses 3-0 Berkhamsted Town
22/2/2001
Liverpool 1-6 Doncaster Belles
Quarter-finals
11/2/2001
Tranmere Rovers 4-2 Everton
18/2/2001
Millwall Lionesses 2-1 Leeds United
25/2/2001
Doncaster Belles 1-2 Arsenal
27/2/2001
Barnet 0-2 Charlton Athletic
Semi-finals
25/2/2001
Tranmere Rovers 3-2 Millwall Lionesses
11/3/2001
Charlton Athletic 0-3 Arsenal
Final
1/4/2001
Tranmere Rovers 0-3 Arsenal
