Outsiders Cardiff looking to follow in Owls’ footsteps and triumph at Wembley

The Owls are the last side from outside the top flight to lift a major domestic trophy in English football, beating Manchester United in the 1991 League Cup final. John Sheridan netted the only goal of the game as Ron Atkinson’s Division Two team shocked the world of football. Many teams – like Middlesbrough, Tranmere and Birmingham – have come close to replicating the Owls’ feat over the last two decades, but failed at the final hurdles. In the FA Cup, there are only eight sides from outside the top level of the English game which have lifted the trophy. West Ham United were the last in the 1980 final when they shocked Arsenal under the Twin Towers. Of course, Leeds United suffered a shock of their own back in 1973 when the Whites, riding high in the old First Division, were beaten by Second Division Sunderland. Southampton edged out Manchester United three years later as another side from the game’s second tier won the day. It looked like Wednesday’s record would go in the 2007-08 season when three of the FA Cup semi-finalists were non-Premier League sides. Barnsley, West Brom and Cardiff all made it to the last four, but Portsmouth managed to see off their lower league opposition to triumph. Now Championship side Cardiff have the chance to match Wednesday’s feat when they face Premier League Liverpool on Sunday at Wembley. There was always going to be a Championship side in this year’s Carling Cup final after the semi-final draw saw Cardiff paired with Crystal Palace. The Premier League big-hitters Liverpool and Manchester City were drawn together in the second semi-final. Steven Gerrard’s first-half penalty in the away leg ultimately proved decisive as the Anfield game ended 2-2. But Cardiff had to go to penalty kicks to decide whether they or Palace would progress after Anthony Gardner scored in both legs for 1-0 scorelines. The only problem being Palace’s Gardner netted an own goal in Wales meaning the match was tied 1-1 on aggregate. And so to penalties. When City goalkeeper Tom Heaton saved the London side’s first two spot-kicks from Jermaine Easter and Sean Scannell it meant Cardiff would be making their fourth trip to Wembley in as many years. There they will be big outsiders against a Liverpool side whose only hopes of silverware this season rest on Wembley success. Wednesday went into the 1991 final very much the underdogs. They had been relegated the previous season – although they subsequently bounced back with immediate promotion – but Atkinson had managed to keep the nucleus of his team together. But the Owls were missing the influential midfielder Carlton Palmer after he was sent off in a league match at Portsmouth. And it was Palmer who Sheridan ran to celebrate with after his goal, 37 minutes and 52 seconds into the match. ITV’s commentator Brian Moore described the pivotal moment, as Nigel Worthington’s free-kick was hoisted into the United penalty area. “No, he plays the long one this time... it might come... it’s a terrific goal for Sheridan.... a terrific goal for Sheffield Wednesday.” For Sheridan – who like the majority of his team-mates from that side, Chris Turner, Roland Nilsson, Peter Shirtliff, Nigel Pearson, Danny Wilson, Worthington and Trevor Francis, went into management – it was a special moment as he describes in Daniel Gorden’s superb book Blue and White Wizards: The Sheffield Wednesday Dream Team. “Nigel Worthington took a deep free-kick and he was trying to find Nigel Pearson,” recalled Sheridan. “It was headed out by Gary Pallister and I just met it. I struck it well, but I thought their keeper had saved it. “I couldn’t really see it through all the bodies so I think the power must have been too much for him. It’s just such an unbelievable feeling to score. “I said to Carlton before the game: ‘If I score I’ll come running straight to you’. He wasn’t playing and had to have a few drinks before the game just to settle himself down. So that’s why I ran to the bench and no one could catch me. A lot of my mates were behind that goal. One or two of them jumped up when I scored. “They were United fans, but they jumped up because it was me who had scored. It was good for me to score the winner – especially against Manchester United, with me being a Stretford lad.” Up stepped captain Pearson to lift the Rumbelows Cup from the sponsors’ employee of the year Tracy Bateman to end Wednesday’s long wait for a trophy. Sheridan and his former Owls team-mate Chris Turner are now working together at Chesterfield, who coincidentally played Wednesday on Saturday, and their part in the Hillsborough history books is forever more. It is often forgotten how goalkeeper Turner kept the Red Devils out when he thwarted Brian McClair in the second half. What money that come the final whistle at Wembley on Sunday, the players from Cardiff City will have emulated Atkinson’s team of 1991?