Manchester United on the other hand, had a very strange season, the year before they had done 'the double,' winning both the Premiership and the F.A.Cup. This year was a different story, in January, Eric Cantona, the fiery Frenchman, was banned from all football, following an assault on a fan in a game involving Crystal Palace. The week before the Final, United lost their Premiership title to Blackburn Rovers by one point. United drew their last match with West Ham 1-1, if they had won, the Championship was theirs, and another 'double' would have been on the cards. As it turned out, they won nothing.

Going in to the Final, all the talk was how United would tear in to Everton with exciting wing play. Nobody apart from the Everton contingent gave the toffeemen a chance in the final.

Ten years previously Everton met Manchester United in the same game, then United were the underdogs, and they beat Everton 1-0.

Everton entered the Final without the services of Duncan Ferguson, the big striker bought from Glasgow Rangers, also out was Daniel Amokachi, the Nigerian striker who had scored two goals after coming on as substitute in the Semi-Final win against Tottenham. Both of these players were to start the game as substitutes.

This meant that the brunt of Everton's attack was to be placed on the shoulders of 'journeyman' centre-forward, Paul Rideout.

The game itself did not live up to the expectations of the fans. There were few scoring opportunities, indeed United looked like a team who were unhappy about losing their League crown.

The first real chance fell to Everton, on the counter-attack Graham Stuart scampered towards goal, with only the keeper to beat, his shot cannoned of the crossbar, the ball rebounded out to Rideout, and he did extremely well to head the ball in the net, with Bruce and Schmeichel guarding the line. Everton were in front, and had the hunger to stay in front, for the rest of the match.

In the second half Manchester United decided to start to play, Giggs replaced the injured Bruce, and the young striker Scholes replaced the disappointing Lee Sharpe. United started to look dangerous, and could have equalised through Scholes, but for a breath-taking double save by Neville Southall. The Welsh goalkeeper was the only surviving player from the 1984 Cup Final winning team.

Everton replaced Anders Limpar and the goalscorer Rideout with Amokachi and Ferguson, much to the delight of the Everton fans.

The match finished with United piling the pressure on the Everton goal, but with Southall in magnificent form, they never looked like conceding. Everton had their revenge for the 1985 Final, and their first trophy for eight years.

The match got off to a bright start with Manchester United first on the attack, but Everton responding immediately and forcing the first corner of the game.

Both sides attacked the goals fronting their own fans in the first half, with United putting Butt out wide on the right and Brian McClair supporting Mark Hughes up front. It almost produced a goal after a minute, Hughes spreading the ball out for the youngster to cross to the back post where Lee Sharpe arrived to head over.

Everton, who had Gary Ablett at left-back, hit back through Swedish winger Anders Limpar, who wriggled through on the right and hit a low drive that Peter Schmeichel was relieved to spill behind for the first corner.

Midfield quickly emerged as the battlefield, Everton massing and working hard to close United down, with Paul Ince reacting angrily when caught heavily by Joe Parkinson. Sharpe got past Jackson on the left in the 9th minute to cross dangerously. Ablett clearing for a corner from which Ince charged in but headed wide.

With men like Denis lrwin and Andy Hinchcliffe around, set-pieces threatened to play a big part and United's Irish full-back had his first chance after 11 minutes. But the range was long and when his free kick was blocked, McClair did well to retrieve the ball and chip over Neville Southall's bar.

United's best early chance fell to Sharpe after 15 minutes, when another exchange of biting tackles produced a snapshot from Ince that spun off Dave Watson into the England winger's path. But he snatched at his volley and scuffed the ball straight to Southall.

Referee Gerald Ashby was very generous in allowing play to continue as the 'dogs of war' got their teeth into the game, ignoring a heavy challenge by Hughes on fellow Welshman Barry Home.

Some of the confrontations were wincingly raw and Everton fans, whose side are not noted for their gentleness, taunted the Worcestershire official with chants of 'cheat'. United faced a crisis after 21 minutes when skipper Steve Bruce pulled up sharply feeling the back of his leg after making a clearance – an obvious sign of a hamstring injury.

While Paul Scholes stretched on the sidelines, Bruce tried to run off the pain. But United looked wobbly and Stuart almost exploited the situation in the 27th minute after trading passes with Hinchcliffe. Given Bruce's condition, United were reckless in committing so many men forward and paid the price when Ince allowed Watson to make a crunching interception just outside the area.

The big defender's passed to Limpar and Everton made a thrilling breakaway four-on-two. The Swede slipped the ball right to Jackson who laid it across past desperate Schmeichel, but the chance almost went begging as Stuart smacked his shot against the underside of the crossbar.

As Wembley held its breath, the rebound came to Rideout who planted his header past a rooted Bruce on the line for Everton to take the lead after 29 minutes 50 seconds.

Ince got caught again almost fatally after 36 minutes, Limpar robbing him and, off the inside of his right foot, curling the ball around United's defence for Stuart to run onto. But it was just a little too far in front of him and his stretched shot lacked the power to beat Schmeichel.

Another sweeping pass from Limpar's boot again gave Stuart the chance to run at United, this time winning a corner from which Everton mounted sustained pressure. From the fourth consecutive Hinchcliffe curler from the right, Ablett headed over the near post.

United were badly in need of inspiration, Butt bursting past Ablett in the last seconds of the half but giving up as the ball raced away from him. The Everton fans roared as the whistle went for half-time, Everton leading 1-0.

Second Half

United came out for the second half without the injured Steve Bruce, Ryan Giggs coming off the bench to replace him. The fans' favourite made his mark on the game almost immediately with a cross from the left. Unsworth slipped trying to clear and Southall had to save smartly from Butt on the far post.

Giggs had slipped in alongside Hughes, with McClair dropping back into midfield, Keane to right back and Gary Neville into the centre of defence. It was a major reshuffle but United were fired up for the challenge and submitted Everton to concerted pressure.

Neville made his presence felt with a challenge on Rideout that left the Everton striker limping. But the 20-year-old United defender soon regretted his kick. Rideout departed after 51 minutes to make way for Ferguson, with Gary Pallister wisely choosing to pick up the Scottish giant.

Giggs and Keane worked a free kick but, though Butt tried to steady himself, his 20-yard volley sailed high and deep into the greyhound track behind Southall's goal. At least United were finding their wings and with it the opportunity to attack with more conviction.

Ferguson almost put the game beyond United in the 61st minute, getting past Pallister but he crossed when only Schmeichel stood before him. Neville cleared from Stuart.

Down at the other end Sharpe looked set to level, but the ball broke unkindly off Unsworth as he blocked Hughes. Everton had decided to defend what they had, rarely getting forward in numbers to support their front men, even Limpar tackling back.

But United just could not find the spark, though Giggs tried hard and had their fans' hearts in their mouths in the 68th minute when he beat Jackson to cross from the goal line. McClair's looping header was tipped on to the bar by Southall, with the hard-working Parkinson clearing as Hughes tried to get onto the rebound.

Amokachi appeared for Limpar a minute later, clearly sent on to punish United on the break. United countered by sending on Paul Scholes for the fading Sharpe after 71 minutes, and he had two chances to level within five minutes.

A mazy run by Giggs pulled Everton awry and the youngster had only Southall to beat. But the Welsh veteran blocked his first shot at the base of his left-hand post and then clawed away the awkward follow-up. It was a cup-winning moment. Then Ince's diving header from Giggs' cross was blocked, before Pallister's header from Butt's cross was well taken by the now-inspired goalkeeper, the oldest man on the park.

Not even Mr Ashby could ignore Hughes' tackle on Horne which brought the first yellow card. It was soon followed by a booking for Horne himself for a reckless tackle on Ince as the game bubbled to a climax.

The last ten minutes of the game were full of excitement as United threw everything into attack to try to grab a late equaliser. Even goalkeeper Schmeichel joined his team-mates up front. In the 88th minute he charged forward again for a Giggs free kick as United saw their season disappearing down the pan.

But there were no tricks left up their sleeves and, as the referee blew the final whistle after two minutes of injury time, the Reds were left singing the Blues.

Captain Dave Watson, the man of the match, climbed the Wembley stairs to receive the FA Cup from the Prince of Wales as Everton fans celebrated their first major honour in eight years.

Deflated, they slumped to the turf at the end, having ended with nothing after seven days of so near but so far. They threw everything at Everton, including Peter Schmeichel upfield late on, but found Neville Southall – the Southall who was seemingly so fallible nine months ago – in unbeatable form. They duly clung on to Paul Rideout's first-half goal in an always absorbing match, although one rarely of high quality.

The team news for both sides, and also for those hoping for an early goal to open up the contest, was bad. Duncan Ferguson was not deemed by his manager, Joe Royle, sufficiently recovered from his hernia operation for a full match and took a place among the substitutes. Neither did Daniel Amokachi get a start, left on the bench as Graham Stuart partnered Rideout up front.

For Manchester United, Alex Ferguson kept Ryan Giggs, who had not played for a month because of a hamstring injury, in reserve. As United emerged from the players' tunnel, there was a sight of what was missing in three men in suits: Eric Cantona, Andy Cole and Andrei Kanchelskis, 39 goals between them this season. As the national anthem struck up, United's fans were preoccupied with their own, singing: "Ooh-aah Cantona."

Mark Hughes was instead the spearhead, United starting with a five-man midfield to combat Everton's so-called "dogs of war". Paul Ince and Roy Keane, no shrinking Dennis Violets, were clearly aware of both the reputation and the reality, having been outfought in United's league defeat at Goodison Park.

The match developed into an attritional combat of fierce tackles, with United initially imposing themselves and the referee, Gerald Ashby, coming close to over-leniency. Everton's black and blue socks seemed symbolic, although the players gradually settled to create, rather than destroy. Still, if not X-rated, it was PG for Prince Charles and his sons, William and Harry, although they may not be unused to tetchy domestic spats.

United were first to create, Lee Sharpe first heading Nicky Butt's cross over the bar at the far post, then being given an excellent chance when Ince's low shot looped into his path off Dave Watson. He volleyed hurriedly, however, driving it into the as-usual lush turf straight to Southall.

Everton, however, had shown what they were capable of when Joe Parkinson played in Anders Limpar, and Schmeichel had to be alert to keep out his low shot to the near post, and on the half hour they took the lead.

Ince lost the ball in midfield and suddenly United were out-numbered four to two in defence. Limpar switched the ball wide to Matthew Jackson on the right, and after Stuart had turned his low cross on to the bar, Rideout rose to head home, his 16th goal of the season.

Now Everton were flowing, Limpar floating infield and aiming some penetrative darts into the heart of the United defence, where Steve Bruce appeared to be struggling with an injury to his thigh. Limpar once again robbed Ince and almost set up Stuart for a second, but his shot was well gathered by the Danish international Schmeichel.

To go with the stiletto of Limpar, Everton also had a broadsword. Andy Hinchcliffe's corners were proving every bit as problematical as expected and from one that swung in from the right, Gary Ablett headed just over. When the half-time whistle went, it came as relief to a United side in need of respite and reorganisation.

Bruce was unable to restart the second half and United now brought on Giggs, moving Keane to right-back and Gary Neville into the centre of defence. Although they had lost their captain, the hope for United was that they might now improve as an attacking force.

Credence was soon given to this theory when Giggs crossed low from the left and Ablett stumbled to let in Butt. Southall, however, spread himself at the far post and diverted Butt's attempted chip over him. Everton's riposte was to introduce Ferguson for the hobbling Rideout, and soon he was rounding Gary Pallister before cutting back a tricky ball that Neville managed to turn away.

United, however, were now beginning to assert themselves more, and despite pining for ingenuity of the sort that Cantona can bring, they were the side creating the clearer openings. Giggs, in particular, was showing himself capable of filling the void.

His low ball in from the left had Everton scrambling and, with Brian McClair left appealing for a penalty for hand-ball as David Unsworth challenged, Sharpe failed to connect with the ball in a yard of space. Then Giggs beat Jackson at the by-line and crossed beautifully to the far post where McClair met it with a header that looped on to Southall's bar before being scrambled away.

Everton brought on their hero of the semi-final, Amokachi; United's last throw was Paul Scholes to partner Hughes, who so nearly equalised after being put through by Giggs until Southall intervened with a stunning double save that typified Everton's resolve.

The tale continues: "Last up the stairs was successful Everton manager Joe Royle and when the Prince congratulated him, Joe could not resist telling him that he was a member of his family but the Prince, not having the vaguest clue who he was, totally ignored the comment Joe passed. I could not help but remark that it was another one which had been totally wasted."