Only two sides in the competition’s history have failed to reach the League Cup final after winning the first leg away from home. West Ham United were the inaugural bottlers in 1971-72, losing a mammoth four-game semi-final against Stoke City.
An epic series of contests, staged before the days of penalty shoot-outs, saw Bobby Moore save a penalty during the final match - billed as one of the greatest games in the competition’s history. Premier League managers would wince at the prospect of four-game cup ties in the modern age.
Including extra time, there were 420 minutes of toil. Terry Conroy’s late winner earned the Potteries a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford and advanced to the final, beating Chelsea on the big day.
