United won by a single goal, scored in extra time by Norman Whiteside, when he curled the ball into the net past the reach of Neville Southall after a run from the right.

Eight of United's starting 11 had been members of the cup-winning side from two years earlier, while Arthur Albiston was the only remaining player from the team that won the 1977 FA Cup Final.

Everton's last remaining player from this match was Neville Southall, who stayed with them until 1998 and helped them win a league title in 1987 and the FA Cup in 1995, also against United – where he and Welsh compatriot Hughes were the only survivors from the 1985 final.

[1] With just under 15 minutes left in the second half, Kevin Moran of Manchester United became the first player to be sent off in an FA Cup Final, for committing a professional foul on Peter Reid, who was clean through on goal.

Five minutes after half-time in extra time, Manchester United's Norman Whiteside scored the winner, curling a low shot around Everton's Pat Van Den Hauwe and past goalkeeper Neville Southall into the bottom corner of the net.