Sunderland1-0
Leeds UnitedSecond Division Sunderland faced Don Revie's Leeds United, the FA Cup holders. One goal and an extraordinary double save delivered a final whose images remain woven into the competition's history.
A daunting Wembley opponent
Leeds were one of the strongest teams in English football and had beaten Arsenal in the 1972 final. Sunderland were a Second Division side under Bob Stokoe, who had taken charge during the season. The difference in standing made Leeds clear favourites.
Sunderland's progress had nonetheless earned them their place on merit, including a semi-final victory over Arsenal. Their task at Wembley was to turn the confidence of that run into a performance against a Leeds side accustomed to contesting major honours.
A goal worth defending
Ian Porterfield scored in the first half after a corner, giving Sunderland an advantage they would spend the rest of the match protecting. Leeds pressed for an equaliser, but goalkeeper Jim Montgomery produced the final's defining passage of play.
Montgomery saved Trevor Cherry's header and then reacted to Peter Lorimer's close-range follow-up, diverting it onto the underside of the bar. It was an astonishing double save in a match where conceding once could have changed everything. Sunderland held their 1–0 lead to the final whistle.
The celebration that endured
Stokoe's sprint onto the pitch to embrace Montgomery became almost as famous as the saves themselves. Sunderland had won their first FA Cup since 1937, and the joy of the occasion belonged as much to the supporters as to the players.
The final is remembered for the combination of a well-taken opportunity and determined resistance. Porterfield supplied the goal, Montgomery preserved it and the team made the result stand. For lower-division finalists who followed, Sunderland provided proof that Wembley was not reserved for the favourites.