E.ON Great Saves No.5: Dave Beasant
FA Cup final, May 4, 1988
Unfashionable Wimbledon had been criticised by many for their long-ball style of play, but there was no knocking the Crazy Gang's fighting spirit as they surged through the rounds to earn a first FA Cup final appearance. Recently crowned First Division champions Liverpool were the formidable opposition at Wembley and nobody gave Bobby Gould's boys a chance. But Dons goalkeeper Dave Beasant would emerge as the unlikely hero...
Sanchez (37)
FA Cup final,
May 4, 1988
Wembley,
Referee: Brian Hill,
Att: 98,203
The Crazy Gang failed to let their illustrious counterparts settle, and took a shock first-half lead through Lawrie Sanchez.
Liverpool piled the pressure on after the break and looked to have found their route back into the match when John Aldridge was felled in the box on the hour mark.
But Dons goalkeeper Dave Beasant had been in formidable form all afternoon and he produced more heroics as he brilliantly turned Aldridge's spot kick round his left-hand post.
The stunning stop left the Reds astounded, and with Beasant continuing to stand firm, the Dons held out to complete one of the greatest shocks in the history of the FA Cup.
Key Figures
Dave Beasant
Not content with being the first goalkeeper to captain an FA Cup winning side, Beasant completed an incredible day by becoming the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in a Wembley Cup final when his outstretched left hand denied Aldridge with half an hour left on the clock.
John Aldridge
Usually so deadly from 12 yards, Aldridge was expected to haul Liverpool back into the match but saw his drive to the right brilliantly thwarted by Beasant. It was the striker's first failure from the spot in 12 attempts and the devastated hitman was substituted soon after.
Did You Know...?
Despite their FA Cup win, Wimbledon could not compete in the 1988–89 Cup Winners Cup due to the ban on English clubs following the Heysel disaster.
Beasant suffered a serious injury in 1993 after dropping a bottle of salad cream on his foot, severing the tendon in his big toe and keeping him out of action for two months.
Beasant now works as a coach at the Glenn Hoddle Academy in Spain.
What Happened Next
A few months after his Wembley heroics, Beasant was sold to Newcastle United for £750,000 - a record fee for a goalkeeper at the time. His spell on Tyneside was short and ill fated as the Magpies struggled in the top-flight and he left in January 1989. Beasant enjoyed spells at numerous other clubs before eventually hanging up his boots in 2004 at the grand old age of 44.
This season E.ON is celebrating Great Saves - great energy saves at home and great goalkeeping saves on the pitch. To win an exciting range of football prizes, with everything from signed shirts to a set of four family tickets at the FA Cup final go to eongreatsaves
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