In 1952–53, Blackpool bounced back from their disappointment in 1951's FA Cup Final when Mudie's last-minute goal against Tottenham Hotspur in that season's semi-final sealed a return to Wembley, this time to face Bolton Wanderers. This match is widely remembered as the "Matthews Final", due to the winger helping to turn a 3–1 deficit into a 4–3 win for Blackpool. Although Matthews and hat-trick scorer Stan Mortensen understandably took the limelight, Matthews himself would later acknowledge the importance of the selfless Mudie, noting that his "skill and work for others often made some of us look better than we really were".