# 2000 Football League Cup final

The 2000 Football League Cup Final was played between Leicester City, in their third final appearance in four years, and First Division side Tranmere Rovers at Wembley Stadium on 27 February 2000. It was the 34th and last League Cup Final to be played at the original Wembley Stadium. Leicester won 2–1 to become the last team to win the League Cup at the old Wembley.

## Road to the final

| Leicester City Round 2, 1st leg: Crystal Palace 3–3 Leicester City Round 2, 2nd leg: Leicester City 4–2 Crystal Palace Round 3: Leicester City 2–0 Grimsby Town Round 4: Leicester City 0–0 Leeds United (Leicester won 4–2 on penalties) Quarter-final: Leicester City 3–3 Fulham (Leicester won 3–0 on penalties) Semi-final, 1st leg: Aston Villa 0–0 Leicester City Semi-final, 2nd leg: Leicester City 1–0 Aston Villa | Tranmere Rovers Round 1, 1st leg: Blackpool 2–1 Tranmere Rovers Round 1, 2nd leg: Tranmere Rovers 3–1 Blackpool Round 2, 1st leg: Tranmere Rovers 5–1 Coventry City Round 2, 2nd leg: Coventry City 3–1 Tranmere Rovers Round 3: Tranmere Rovers 2–0 Oxford United Round 4: Tranmere Rovers 4–0 Barnsley Quarter-final: Tranmere Rovers 2–1 Middlesbrough Semi-final, 1st leg: Bolton Wanderers 0–1 Tranmere Rovers Semi-final, 2nd leg: Tranmere Rovers 3–0 Bolton Wanderers |

## Match summary

Scott Taylor's successful tackle on Robbie Savage forced the ball out for a corner, and Matt Elliott headed home Leicester's first goal courtesy of a Steve Guppy cross from the right. Leicester came close to scoring a second goal in the 60th minute when Emile Heskey passed the ball to an unmarked Muzzy Izzet in the penalty box, who hesitated and his shot flew wide of the goal. Referee Alan Wilkie later suffered an injury in the right leg in the 62nd minute, and was stretchered off. Phil Richards, the fourth official, was brought on to replace him.
Clint Hill picked up his second booking and was sent off after a deliberate foul on Heskey in the 63rd minute. Several Tranmere players protested but the decision stood. Tranmere, down to ten men, rallied and their persistence paid off when they equalised in the 77th minute when a fine header found its way to an unmarked David Kelly who, after narrowly escaping Matt Elliott's attempted tackle, shot low to the left past goalkeeper Tim Flowers. Yet, just three minutes later, Elliott scored another towering header from another Guppy corner kick from the right, and the League Cup went to Leicester.

## Match details

| Leicester City | Tranmere Rovers |
Tim Flowers :
| CB | 3 | Frank Sinclair |
| CB | 18 | Matt Elliott (c) |
| CB | 4 | Gerry Taggart |
| RWB | 29 | Stefan Oakes | 77' |
| LWB | 11 | Steve Guppy |
| CM | 14 | Robbie Savage |
| CM | 6 | Muzzy Izzet |
| CM | 7 | Neil Lennon |
| CF | 27 | Tony Cottee | 89' |
| CF | 9 | Emile Heskey |
| Substitutes: ||||
| GK | 22 | Pegguy Arphexad |
| DF | 15 | Phil Gilchrist |
| MF | 37 | Theodoros Zagorakis |
| MF | 24 | Andy Impey | 77' |
| FW | 20 | Ian Marshall | 89' |
| Manager: ||||
| Martin O'Neill ||||
Joe Murphy :
| RB | 30 | Reuben Hazell |
| CB | 5 | Dave Challinor | |
| CB | 6 | Clint Hill | 9' 63' |
| LB | 33 | Gareth Roberts |
| RM | 14 | Andy Parkinson | | 66' |
| CM | 15 | Gary Jones |
| CM | 11 | Nick Henry |
| LM | 7 | Alan Mahon |
| CF | 9 | David Kelly(c) |
| CF | 10 | Scott Taylor |
| Substitutes: ||||
| GK | 1 | John Achterberg |
| DF | 31 | Steve Yates | | 66' |
| DF | 3 | Andy Thompson |
| FW | 16 | Alan Morgan |
| FW | 29 | Michael Black |
| Manager: ||||
| John Aldridge ||||
| Man of the Match: Matt Elliott (Leicester City) Assistant referees: Paul Armstrong (Berkshire) Wendy Toms Fourth official: Phil Richards (Lancashire) | Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Five named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions. |