Thursday, April 18, 2013

18 April 1993 - This Time, The Pain Came After The Gain

On 18 April 1993, Arsenal's Steve Morrow scored the winning goal in the League Cup final, then broke his arm in the post-match celebrations.

The Gunners were in the final against fellow Premier League side Sheffield Wednesday. Playing in front of a crowd of over 74,000 at Wembley, Wednesday took a quick lead with a goal from midfielder John Harkes in the eighth minute. Harkes's goal, rifled in from the edge of the box, made him the first American to score in a League Cup final.

Their lead didn't last long, however, as Arsenal's Paul Merson blasted a half-volley into the far corner from about twenty yards out in the 20th minute; the teams went into the break level at 1-1.

They remained level until the 68th minute, when a poor clearance by Wednesday dropped the ball into the path of Morrow just a few feet in front of the goal. He drove the ball past keeper Chris Woods to give the Gunners the lead and, as it turned out, the League Cup, as the 2-1 margin set the final score.

In the post-match celebrations, Arsenal captain Tony Adams tried to lift Morrow, but dropped him, breaking his arm. The injury forced Morrow to miss the remainder of the season, including a return to Wembley against Wednesday in the FA Cup final, which Arsenal won in a replay to claim the Cup Double.

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