Greatest Own Goals of All-Time No.19
Gary Mabbutt lifted the FA Cup in 1991 after Nottingham Forest’s Des Walker put through his own goal in Extra Time to give Tottenham a 2-1 win.
Four years earlier, Mabbutt had an FA Cup Final to forget as he scored an own goal in a 3-2 defeat to underdogs Coventry City.
Nobody outside Coventry gave the Sky Blues a chance of winning the Cup but they upset the odds and won the oldest cup competition in the world.
Luckily for Mabbutt, the game is remembered for Keith Houchen’s wonderful diving header that put Coventry on level terms after 62 minutes.
Clive Allen scored his 49th goal of the season after only two minutes before Coventry’ Dave Bennett equalised six minutes later. Gary Mabbutt scored at the right end to give Tottenham the lead five minutes before half time and Houchen scored his famous header in the 62nd minute.
After 90 minutes, the score was 2-2 and so Extra Time was needed to separate the two sides. Six years earlier, Tommy Hutchinson scored at both ends in the 1981 FA Cup Final for Manchester City against Tottenham and it was Spurs who went on to win the Cup. This time Gary Mabbutt scored at both ends and his own goal to settle the match and Spurs would lose.
Five minutes into the second half, substitute Graham Rodger won possession of the ball just inside the Coventry City half. He took the ball forward into the Tottenham half before flicking the ball out to Lloyd McGrath who stood in his own out on the right wing.
Tottenham’s left back Mitchell Thomas had moved towards the centre of the pitch, allowing McGrath a lot of space down the wing. McGrath pushed the ball forward with his first touch and took full advantage of the open space that had opened up in front of him.
Thomas was unable to catch McGrath who hit a low cross as he reached the edge of the penalty area, about eight yards from the byline.
McGrath’s cross was intended for his team mate Nick Pickering who was waiting in the middle of the penalty area. Gary Mabbutt got in the way though and tried to intercept the cross, but instead of the ball going out for a corner, it skewed off and went goalwards.
The wicked deflection went high over veteran goalkeeper Ray Clemence and dropped just under the bar and into the back of the net. It was a most unlucky goal but it won the Cup for Coventry. It was a crushing blow for Spurs team who had played 57 league and cup matches over the course of the season and didn’t win a single trophy.
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