1988 Football League Cup Final
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The 1988 Football League Cup Final (also known as the Littlewoods Challenge Cup Final for sponsorship reasons) was an
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
match between
Luton Town Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
and
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
on 24 April 1988 at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
, London. It was the final match of the 1987–88 staging of the
Football League Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
. Luton were making their first League Cup Final appearance, while the competition holders Arsenal were appearing in their fourth final. Each club needed to get past five rounds to reach the showpiece event at Wembley. Both clubs made comfortable progress; Luton scored 14 goals and conceded three, Arsenal on the other hand conceded two fewer. Luton for the final were without
Darron McDonough Darron Karl McDonough (born 7 November 1962) is an English former footballer, most noted as a player for Oldham Athletic and Luton Town. Playing career Born in Antwerp but raised in Lancashire, McDonough joined his local side Oldham Athletic f ...
who injured himself in training, but David Preece and
Ricky Hill Ricky Hill (born 5 March 1959) is an English former footballer, spending most of his playing career at Luton Town FC for 14 years, while representing England at Senior, U21 and U18 International levels. Hill was the fourth Black player to play ...
both returned to the side after lengthy periods of treatment. Goalkeeper
Les Sealey Leslie Jesse Sealey (29 September 1957 – 19 August 2001) was an English professional footballer and coach. He played as a goalkeeper, most notably in the top flight for Coventry City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and West Ham United. ...
was not fit in time to play, so
Andy Dibble Andrew Gerald Dibble (born 8 May 1965) is a Welsh football coach and former professional player. As a player, he was as a goalkeeper from 1982 to 2006. During his career he played in the Premier League for Manchester City and in the Scottish ...
deputised in goal for only his sixth appearance of the season.
Gus Caesar Gus Cassius Caesar (born 5 March 1966) is an English former professional footballer. Youth and career at Arsenal Born in Tottenham, London, Caesar joined Arsenal in August 1982, turning professional in February 1984. Despite breaking his ankl ...
replaced
David O'Leary David Anthony O'Leary (born 2 May 1958) is a football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United, subsequently managing Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai. The majority of his 20-yea ...
in Arsenal's starting eleven, as the Irishman was ruled out for the final having damaged his achilles weeks prior. Arsenal, the defending champions, entered the match as favourites, but went behind early when Brian Stein scored. Luton's disciplined approach, coupled with a strong performance by Dibble, contained Arsenal to few chances throughout the game. The holders equalised and took the lead in quick succession through Martin Hayes and Alan Smith, but failed to seal the win when
Nigel Winterburn Nigel Winterburn (born 11 December 1963) is an English former professional footballer, coach and current television personality for BT Sport. He played primarily as a left back from 1981 to 2003. He is best known for his role alongside the li ...
missed a penalty. A revitalised Luton staged a late comeback; Caesar's failed clearance led to Danny Wilson equalising, and in the 90th minute, Brian Stein scored the winner after poor defending from Arsenal. The 1988 final was Luton's first major cup victory; their manager
Ray Harford Raymond Thomas Harford (1 June 1945 – 9 August 2003) was an English footballer, better known for his successes as a coach and manager than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation. During his playin ...
later described it as the greatest win in his time at the club. Luton did not qualify for European football the following season, despite winning the League Cup as
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
chose not to relax its ban on English teams. Arsenal manager
George Graham George Graham (born 30 November 1944), nicknamed "Stroller", is a Scottish former Association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. In his successful playing career, he made 455 appearances in England's Football ...
in the meantime strengthened his squad as a result of his team's poor defensive display. Caesar found his playing time limited in subsequent seasons, as the manager brought in
Steve Bould Stephen Andrew Bould (born 16 November 1962) is an English football coach and former professional footballer. He is currently the head coach of Lommel SK. As a player, he was a defender from 1980 until 2000. Bould began his football career wi ...
. The 1988 final has been regarded as one of the best in the competition's history and the most exciting at Wembley, and has been likened to the "five-minute" FA Cup Final of 1979.


Route to the final


Arsenal

Arsenal entered the competition in the second round, as one of the 22 teams from the Football League First Division. They were drawn against
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
; the first leg was staged at Belle Vue on 23 September 1987. Arsenal eased to a 3–0 win, with goals from
Perry Groves Perry Groves (born 19 April 1965) is an English former association football, footballer, known chiefly for his time at Arsenal F.C., Arsenal. He was a fast-paced player who usually played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger, and occasionally as a Stri ...
, Alan Smith and Steve Williams. A fortnight later, midfielder
David Rocastle David Carlyle Rocastle (2 May 1967 – 31 March 2001) was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the roles of a playmaker and a winger. He spent the majority of his career at Arsenal where he was nicknamed "Rocky". Ro ...
scored the only goal in the second leg to give Arsenal a 4–0 aggregate scoreline win.
AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
were Arsenal's opponents in the third round. The match was played at
Highbury Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor house was situ ...
on 27 October 1987. Arsenal needed 33 minutes to open the scoring, when
Michael Thomas Michael or Mike Thomas may refer to: Entertainment * Michael M. Thomas (born 1936), American novelist of financial thrillers * Michael Tilson Thomas (born 1944), American conductor, pianist, and composer * Michael Thomas (actor) (1952–2019), Bri ...
converted a
penalty kick A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
. Smith extended their lead and in the second half, Kevin Richardson scored Arsenal's third, profiting from a mix-up between the Bournemouth defenders. The win was Arsenal's tenth in succession at Highbury, setting a new club record in the process. In the fourth round Arsenal faced
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
of the Second Division at home. They made light work of the opposition, winning by three goals and once more set a unique record:
David O'Leary David Anthony O'Leary (born 2 May 1958) is a football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United, subsequently managing Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai. The majority of his 20-yea ...
's strike meant all 10 regular outfield players each had scored for Arsenal during the season. In his match report for ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', Stuart Jones assessed: "Having experienced northing but victory since the end of August, Arsenal are walking around with almost too much belief", and felt complacency was the only issue preventing the club from reaching the quarter-finals. Arsenal profited from a mistake by
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
goalkeeper
Martin Hodge Martin Hodge (born 4 February 1959 in Southport, Lancashire) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for Plymouth Argyle, Everton, Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester City, Hartlepool United and Rochdale. His career ...
to progress to the semi-finals, where they were paired up against Everton. The first leg was staged at
Goodison Park Goodison Park is a football stadium in the Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area 2 miles (3 km) north of Liverpool ...
and saw the Arsenal players, rejuvenated by a five-day break in Marbella, come away with a 1–0 win. Groves scored the only goal of the match when he managed to get a shot in from
Kenny Sansom Kenneth Graham Sansom (born 26 September 1958) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. An England international, he played for clubs such as Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Coventry City, Queens Park Rangers, ...
's
free kick A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play. Association football In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an offence ...
. Arsenal secured a place in the final with a 3–1 victory in the second leg.


Luton Town

Luton Town, also of the First Division, began the competition in the second round and played
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
over two legs. The first, staged at Wigan's Springfield Park ended as a 1–0 win for the visitors, courtesy of Mickey Weir's goal. In the return leg,
Mick Harford Michael Gordon Harford (born 12 February 1959) is an English football manager and former professional player. He is the chief recruitment officer at Luton Town, a club where he has spent a large portion of both his playing and non-playing caree ...
scored a hat-trick to give Luton a comfortable 4–2 victory (5–2 on aggregate).
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
were Luton's opponents in the third round. The tie was played at
Filbert Street Filbert Street was a football stadium in Leicester, England, which served as the home of Leicester City F.C. from 1891 until 2002. Although officially titled the City Business Stadium in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively b ...
– a neutral venue – given Luton had banned away supporters from its home,
Kenilworth Road Kenilworth Road is an association football stadium in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It has been the home ground of Luton Town F.C., Luton Town Football Club since 1905. The stadium has also hosted women's and youth international matches, includ ...
as a consequence of the
rioting A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...
which marred English football in 1985. At Filbert Street, Luton started strongly and took a 30th-minute lead when Weir scored. Further goals from Harford saw them progress into the next round. In the last 16 of the competition, Luton faced
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
of the Second Division. Without several senior players because of ineligibility and injury, Luton scored early through Brian Stein's strike, and then produced a solid defensive performance, reliant on goalkeeper
Les Sealey Leslie Jesse Sealey (29 September 1957 – 19 August 2001) was an English professional footballer and coach. He played as a goalkeeper, most notably in the top flight for Coventry City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and West Ham United. ...
to earn a place in the quarter-finals. The result marked Ipswich's first defeat of the season, having earlier recorded 10 wins and two draws at
Portman Road Portman Road is a football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, which has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted many England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly internatio ...
. Luton hosted
Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...
in the fifth round of the competition on 19 January 1988. A mistake by Bradford goalkeeper Paul Tomlinson handed Luton the lead four minutes before the hour, when he gave away a free kick for placing the ball down before picking it up again. A shot from Danny Wilson in the 65th minute resulted in Luton's second goal; though his effort was saved by Tomlinson, the goalkeeper could not fend off the advancing Harford's header. Luton faced
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
in the semi-final which was played over two-legs. The first leg was at Oxford's home ground Manor Ground, where Luton had beaten their opponents 5–2 earlier in the league season. On a wet, muddy surface, both clubs struggled to control the tempo, though Luton played the more incisive football and looked threatening in their opponent's half. Brian Stein gave Luton the breakthrough in the tie, but Oxford equalised from the penalty spot. The home side were awarded a second penalty when
Dean Saunders Dean Nicholas Saunders (born 21 June 1964) is a Welsh football manager and former professional footballer. As a player, he was a striker in a career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He played for Liverpool and Aston Villa in the 1990s, and s ...
was brought down in Luton's area, but Sealey saved his attempt. Having received consent from the police to stage the second leg at Kenilworth Road, a near-capacity crowd saw Luton win 2–0.


Pre-match

Arsenal, the match favourites and holders of the Football League Cup, were making their fourth final appearance in the competition. They had won the League Cup once before, in
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
, and lost two consecutive finals in
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...
and 1969. By contrast Luton Town were making their first League Cup final appearance. The club enjoyed relative success in the cups during the 1987–88 season, reaching the last four of the FA Cup and
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
of the
Full Members Cup The Full Members' Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992. Th ...
. Arsenal and Luton had only played each other once in the League Cup;
George Graham George Graham (born 30 November 1944), nicknamed "Stroller", is a Scottish former Association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. In his successful playing career, he made 455 appearances in England's Football ...
the present-day manager of Arsenal, scored the decider in a third-round tie on 6 October 1970. Luton's last victory against Arsenal came in March 1986, a 3–0 win in an FA Cup fifth round, second replay. Luton manager
Ray Harford Raymond Thomas Harford (1 June 1945 – 9 August 2003) was an English footballer, better known for his successes as a coach and manager than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation. During his playin ...
had doubts over his team selection for the final. Though buoyed by the return of David Preece and
Ricky Hill Ricky Hill (born 5 March 1959) is an English former footballer, spending most of his playing career at Luton Town FC for 14 years, while representing England at Senior, U21 and U18 International levels. Hill was the fourth Black player to play ...
to full training, he was without
Darron McDonough Darron Karl McDonough (born 7 November 1962) is an English former footballer, most noted as a player for Oldham Athletic and Luton Town. Playing career Born in Antwerp but raised in Lancashire, McDonough joined his local side Oldham Athletic f ...
who injured his knee ligaments in training. Harford said the instability presented a selection dilemma, telling reporters: "I think I have got to break somebody's heart by telling him he is not playing." He admitted Luton's poor run of form since losing the Full Members Cup was a reason why he would make changes for the Wembley final, and noted his side's difficulty on grass away from home. Harford identified
David Rocastle David Carlyle Rocastle (2 May 1967 – 31 March 2001) was an English professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the roles of a playmaker and a winger. He spent the majority of his career at Arsenal where he was nicknamed "Rocky". Ro ...
as Arsenal's biggest threat and felt they had few weaknesses in the side other than the ability to finish chances. He believed O'Leary absence through injury was a big loss for Arsenal, and implied that Williams was needed in midfield: "Without him they don't have a leader. He has a presence and that Wembley flair." Like Harford, Graham had issues selecting his side, going as far to say "it's the hardest line-up I have had to choose." Already without O'Leary, Graham was waiting for Paul Davis to pass a fitness test before finalising his first eleven; the England international had caught a virus a week before the final and subsequently missed training. Arsenal defender
Gus Caesar Gus Cassius Caesar (born 5 March 1966) is an English former professional footballer. Youth and career at Arsenal Born in Tottenham, London, Caesar joined Arsenal in August 1982, turning professional in February 1984. Despite breaking his ankl ...
, who deputised for O'Leary, relished the challenge of being up against Harford: " eis aggressive, but I'm not worried. I played with
Tony Adams Tony Alexander Adams (born 10 October 1966) is an English former football manager and player. Adams played for Arsenal and England, captaining both teams. He spent his entire playing career of 19 years as a centre back at Arsenal, making 672 ...
for two years in the youth team. We can always draw on that experience. It's instinctive." The final was broadcast live in the United Kingdom on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
, presented by Elton Welsby with commentary from Brian Moore and
David Pleat David John Pleat (born 15 January 1945) is an English football player turned manager, and sports commentator. Pleat made 185 Football League appearances for five clubs, scoring 26 goals. He had two spells as manager of Luton Town, and four as ma ...
. The winners stood to receive £75,000 in prize money, while the losing finalists earned £25,000.


Match


Summary

Sealey was not fit in time for the final, so Harford selected
Andy Dibble Andrew Gerald Dibble (born 8 May 1965) is a Welsh football coach and former professional player. As a player, he was as a goalkeeper from 1982 to 2006. During his career he played in the Premier League for Manchester City and in the Scottish ...
to deputise in only his sixth game of the season.Moore, Pleat (1988). Event occurs before kick-off; live coverage between 14:27pm and 14:30pm.
Mal Donaghy Malachy Martin Donaghy (born 13 September 1957 in Belfast) is a former Northern Ireland national football team, Northern Ireland international Association football, footballer who played for Luton Town F.C., Luton Town and Manchester United F.C. ...
passed a fitness test and partnered Steve Foster in defence, while Rob Johnson was preferred as left back to Ashley Grimes. Hill and Preece came back into the side in midfield, and Brian Stein played behind Harford and
Kingsley Black Kingsley Terence Black (born 22 June 1968) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder from 1987 until 2002, He notably featured in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest, and also had spells with Luton Town and Grimsby T ...
. As expected for Arsenal, Graham paired Caesar with Adams in central defence, and Davis returned to the first eleven after his short illness. Up front, Smith was positioned alongside Groves. Harford set his team up in a
4–3–3 In association football, the formation of a team refers to the position players take in relation to each other on a pitch. As association football is a fluid and fast-moving game, a player's position (with the exception of the goalkeeper) in a ...
formation, whereas Graham went for the traditional 4–4–2 system: a four-man
defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...
(comprising two
centre back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
s and left and right full-backs), four
midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
s (two in the
centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
, and one on each
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
) and two
centre forward Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
s. Luton kicked off the final, and both sides enjoyed early spells of possession, moving the ball about briskly. Arsenal tested the Luton back four in the eighth minute, when Davis' pass went over Johnson and the ball was collected by Thomas on the right flank.Moore, Pleat (1988). Event occurs around the eight-minute mark; live coverage between 14:37pm and 14:39pm. Charging towards the
penalty area The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it. Wit ...
, he was impeded by the incoming Dibble and moved near the byline, but Johnson obstructed his eventual shot at goal. Minutes later, Luton had their first chance of the match from a long free kick, taken by
Tim Breacker Timothy Sean Breacker (born 2 July 1965) is an English football coach and former player, who is chief scout at Bolton Wanderers. As a player, he was a right-back who notably played in the Premier League for West Ham United, where he made 240 ...
. The ball reached the Arsenal penalty area, and goalkeeper
John Lukic Jovan "John" Lukic ( Serbian: Јован "Џон" Лукић, ''Jovan "Džon" Lukić''; born 11 December 1960) is an English football coach and former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper from 1978 to 2001 and spent his entire pro ...
failed to collect it; Harford got his head to the ball, but it just went over the crossbar. Another Luton free kick, this time in the 13th minute, led to the opening goal. The Arsenal defence failed to clear Preece's incoming delivery, and Foster, thinking quick, managed to slip an angled pass in Brian Stein's direction. The midfielder scored – it was the second goal Arsenal had conceded in the competition. Arsenal began to play with purpose once going behind, but for the rest of the half struggled to get the better of Luton's defence. A long ball by Davis sent Rocastle charging forward in the 16th minute, and momentarily upset Luton's shape, but it was caught by Dibble. The Luton goalkeeper was again called into action when Arsenal were awarded a set piece; Sansom slid the ball to
Nigel Winterburn Nigel Winterburn (born 11 December 1963) is an English former professional footballer, coach and current television personality for BT Sport. He played primarily as a left back from 1981 to 2003. He is best known for his role alongside the li ...
, whose shot was gathered. Foster made a timely challenge on Davis on the edge of the penalty area to end another Arsenal attack; Graham's team had been more threatening on right-hand flank with Rocastle and Winterburn. Harford, who had been a long figure up front for Luton, still managed to trouble the Arsenal defence with little service; near the end of the first half, he collected a pass from the left, bypassed his marker Adams and aimed his shot at goal, which went wide of the right-hand post. Luton came close to scoring their second goal of the match when Harford got away from Caesar and ran towards the left byline. His
cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...
into the penalty area was met by Brian Stein's head, but Lukic made a crucial save, tipping the ball wide. Both managers brought on substitutes after the hour mark – Mark Stein came on for Harford, while Martin Hayes replaced Groves. The latter substitution worked to Arsenal's advantage, as it brought about their equaliser in the 72nd minute. Davis' free kick delivered in was only half cleared by Foster and amongst the scramble, Hayes drove the ball in the net. Arsenal continued to pile on pressure, and took the lead three minutes later, when Smith received a pass from Thomas to score. The turning point of the match came with ten minutes left. After a period of fluent football by the Arsenal forwards which saw Smith hit the woodwork and Hayes, Thomas and Rocastle all had shots saved by Dibble, Arsenal were awarded a penalty after Rocastle was fouled in the box. Dibble saved Winterburn's spot-kick by turning the ball round the post. A newly inspired Luton equalised with seven minutes remaining when Caesar mis-kicked a clearance on the edge of his penalty area, enabling Luton's Wilson to head the ball into the Arsenal goal from a Mark Stein cross. With less than a minute to go, Adams fouled Mark Stein, and from the resulting free kick, Brian Stein scored his second goal of the match to put the game beyond the reach of the defending champions.


Details


Post-match and legacy

Luton's cup win was the club's first major piece of silverware in its history. A jubilant Harford described it as "the greatest win in my time at Luton", having thought his team had lost the match when Smith scored. He commended his goalkeeper, saying: "Considering all the circumstances, I think Dibble had to be the man of the match, and as for the young boy, ingsleyBlack was sensational. He has so much talent." The stand-in goalkeeper for Luton was delighted with his role in the final, but made it pertinent that he needed regular first-team football, or he would be tempted to leave the following season. Brian Stein spoke of his surprise of scoring the winner, and said: "I asked the referee how long was left and he just blew the whistle." Luton held a civic ceremony two days after the final, where the trophy was presented in front of the club's supporters. It was there the stem of the trophy had become noticeably damaged; Luton the following morning returned it to the competition's sponsors for repairs. Graham felt his team "... were there when we were leading 2–1", and expressed his sympathy for Winterburn, "He is a good signing for Arsenal and to miss a penalty so close to the end was a great disappointment to him." He extended his congratulations to Luton, in particular Dibble, telling reporters: "Their goalkeeper was absolutely superb. He kept them in the game when they could have been finished." The Arsenal manager also revealed the club would take action against Williams for disappearing on the matchday. The defeat prompted Graham to strengthen his defence over the summer; he was unable to convince his first choice
Gary Pallister Gary Andrew Pallister (born 30 June 1965) is an English former professional footballer and sports television pundit. As a player, he was a defender from 1984 to 2001 and is most noted for his nine-year spell at Manchester United from 1989 unt ...
to join the club, but managed to sign 25-year-old defender
Steve Bould Stephen Andrew Bould (born 16 November 1962) is an English football coach and former professional footballer. He is currently the head coach of Lommel SK. As a player, he was a defender from 1980 until 2000. Bould began his football career wi ...
from Stoke. Bould went on to displace Caesar in the starting eleven, whose career stalled after the 1988 final. Although Luton won the League Cup, they did not earn a place in the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
, as UEFA chose not to relax its ban on English teams from playing in European club competitions during the late 1980s. David Evans, the Luton chairman was against his club participating in European football, though he never publicised his reasoning. The match is considered as one of the best League Cup finals, and greatest Cup shocks in the competition's history. In 2015, Luton's victory was ranked 12th in a list of the "50 greatest things from the past three decades", by readers of the ''Luton on Sunday''.


References

General * Specific


Further reading

* {{1987–88 in English football EFL Cup Finals League Cup Final 1988 League Cup Final 1988 League Cup Final Football League Cup Final League Cup Final