Blackpool's Stan Mortensen keeps Wembley record as Raheem Sterling is denied FA Cup final hat-trick
It means Mortensen's hat-trick in Blackpool's 4-3 victory over Bolton in 1953 remains the only one scored in an FA Cup final at either the old or new Wembley venues.
Mortensen's hat-trick goal pulled Blackpool level with a minute remaining, having trailed 3-1, paving the way for Bill Perry to net the winner in injury time.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdDespite Mortensen's heroics, one of the all-time great FA Cup finals will forever be referred to as the Matthews Final as the legendary Sir Stanley Matthews finally got his hands on the FA Cup at the age of 38.
The only other hat-tricks in FA Cup finals were both scored in the nineteenth century, by William Townley for Blackburn in 1890 and Jimmy Logan for Notts County in 1894 .
Mortensen, who scored 197 goals in 317 league games for Blackpool, died just days short of his 70th birthday in 1991.
A statue in his honour was erected outside Bloomfield Road in 2005 and he was among the first players inducted into the club's Hall of Fame the following year.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSterling grew up in Wembley's shadows hoping one day to grace the famous field and he revelled in steering City home on Saturday, when his two late goals completed the biggest FA Cup final victory since Bury defeated Derby County by the same score in 1903.
He said: "Growing up here, growing up seeing this game billed, it's a dream come true - coming on this field and winning trophies.
"The boys were brilliant today. Everyone was fantastic. Credit to all the boys today, it's been a fantastic year.
"It just shows what the manager's building here. At the start of the season he said, 'Let's try and get the mentality right and go for the Premier League again', and we've done that again, exceptionally well."