# 1997 Football League Cup final

The 1997 Football League Cup Final was played between Middlesbrough and Leicester City. The first game, at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 6 April 1997, ended in a 1–1 draw after extra time. Fabrizio Ravanelli opened the scoring only for Leicester's Emile Heskey to equalise in the last minute of extra time. Heskey was fortunate to be on the field, having committed what was a bookable foul on Boro captain Nigel Pearson after already being booked. Leicester won the replay, and their second League Cup, in the game played at Hillsborough Stadium on 16 April 1997 with another extra-time goal, this time from Steve Claridge.
This was the last year that the Football League Cup Final was decided by a replay.

## Road to Wembley

| Leicester City Round 2, 1st leg: Scarborough 0–2 Leicester City Round 2, 2nd leg: Leicester City 2–1 Scarborough Round 3: York City 0–2 Leicester City Round 4: Leicester City 2–0 Manchester United Quarter-final: Ipswich Town 0–1 Leicester City Semi-final, 1st leg: Leicester City 0–0 Wimbledon Semi-final, 2nd leg: Wimbledon 1–1 Leicester City (on away goals) | Middlesbrough Round 2, 1st leg: Middlesbrough 7–0 Hereford United Round 2, 2nd leg: Hereford United 0–3 Middlesbrough Round 3: Middlesbrough 5–1 Huddersfield Town Round 4: Middlesbrough 3–1 Newcastle United Quarter-final: Middlesbrough 2–1 Liverpool Semi-final, 1st leg: Stockport County 0–2 Middlesbrough Semi-final, 2nd leg: Middlesbrough 0–1 Stockport County |

## Match details

| Leicester City | Middlesbrough |
Kasey Keller :
| DF | 2 | Simon Grayson |
| DF | 3 | Mike Whitlow | 105' |
| DF | 5 | Steve Walsh (c) |
| DF | 15 | Pontus Kåmark |
| DF | 17 | Spencer Prior |
| MF | 6 | Muzzy Izzet | 108' |
| MF | 7 | Neil Lennon |
| MF | 10 | Garry Parker |
| FW | 9 | Steve Claridge |
| FW | 11 | Emile Heskey |
| Substitutes: ||||
| GK | 1 | Kevin Poole |
| MF | 8 | Scott Taylor | 108' |
| FW | 12 | Mark Robins | 105' |
| Manager: ||||
| Martin O'Neill ||||
Mark Schwarzer :
| DF | 2 | Neil Cox |
| DF | 14 | Curtis Fleming |
| DF | 5 | Nigel Pearson (c) |
| DF | 18 | Gianluca Festa |
| MF | 21 | Craig Hignett |
| MF | 8 | Robbie Mustoe |
| MF | 10 | Juninho Paulista |
| MF | 6 | Emerson |
| FW | 9 | Mikkel Beck |
| FW | 11 | Fabrizio Ravanelli |
| Substitutes: ||||
| DF | 4 | Steve Vickers |
| DF | 17 | Clayton Blackmore |
| MF | 12 | Alan Moore |
| Manager: ||||
| Bryan Robson ||||
* Match rules
* 90 minutes
* 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary
* Replay if scores still level
* Three named substitutes
* Maximum of three substitutions

### Replay

| Leicester | Middlesbrough |
Kasey Keller :
| RWB | 2 | Simon Grayson |
| CB | 3 | Mike Whitlow | 109' |
| CB | 5 | Steve Walsh (c) |
| CB | 17 | Spencer Prior |
| LWB | 15 | Pontus Kåmark |
| CM | 6 | Muzzy Izzet |
| CM | 7 | Neil Lennon |
| CM | 10 | Garry Parker |
| CF | 9 | Steve Claridge | 117' |
| CF | 11 | Emile Heskey |
| Substitutes: ||||
| GK | 1 | Kevin Poole |
| DF | 21 | Jamie Lawrence | 109' |
| FW | 12 | Mark Robins | 117' |
| Manager: ||||
| Martin O'Neill ||||
Ben Roberts :
| RB | 2 | Neil Cox | 105' |
| CB | 5 | Nigel Pearson (c) |
| CB | 18 | Gianluca Festa | 76' |
| LB | 7 | Vladimir Kinder |
| CM | 17 | Clayton Blackmore |
| CM | 6 | Emerson |
| CM | 8 | Robbie Mustoe |
| AM | 10 | Juninho Paulista |
| CF | 21 | Craig Hignett | 105' |
| CF | 11 | Fabrizio Ravanelli |
| Substitutes: ||||
| DF | 4 | Steve Vickers | 76' |
| MF | 12 | Alan Moore | 105' |
| FW | 9 | Mikkel Beck | 105' |
| Manager: ||||
| Bryan Robson ||||
* Match rules
* 90 minutes
* 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary
* Penalty shootout if scores still level
* Three named substitutes
* Maximum of three substitutions