35th Anniversary: Forest 0 Wolves 1 League Cup Final March 15 1980

In the fifth of our Classic Match features, we take a trip down memory lane to the League Cup final clash in 1980 between Wolves and European champions Nottingham Forest at Wembley.

WATCH: Tim Nash interviews Geoff Palmer and Willie Carr:

Each week, we want fans to nominate a favourite game from the past and tell us why it's important to them. We'll then publish the full match report each Friday.

Match Report

A tactical decision two hours before the game masterminded by assistant manager Richie Barker paved the way for Wolves' magnificent League Cup final success at Wembley on Saturday.

Barker decided to move Peter Daniel wide to block the dangerous John Robertson and bring Kenny Hibbit inside to support the strike force.

The result was another chapter in the Wembley story which is pitted with the accounts of fallen favourites and of the underdogs, playing their hearts out to accomplish victory.

Barker studied Forest in their 4-0 league win over Spurs last Wednesday and was firmly convinced that if Robertson could be checked, Wolves could put out Forest's fire.

And Daniel did his job magnificently. It was fitting that he should provide the tantalising high centre that forced indecision between David Needham and Pete Shilton and allowed Andy Gray to take full advantage of a gift opportunity and guide the ball home for what proved a 66th minute winner.

Route to the final

Round 2: (1st leg) Burnley 1 Wolves 1

Round 2: (2nd leg) Wolves 2 Burnley 0

Round 3: Crystal Palace 1 Wolves 2

Round 4: QPR 1 Wolves 1

Round 4: (Replay) Wolves 1 QPR 0

Round 5: Grimsby 0 Wolves 0

Round 5: (Replay) Wolves 1 Grimsby 1 (aet)

Round 5: (2nd replay) Grimsby 0 Wolves 2

Semi-final: (1st leg) Swindon 2 Wolves 1

But the match was not just about the Daniel decision or about the gift of a goal. It was about 11 men who played their hearts out for a League Cup triumph that was based on a belief in themselves.

From Paul Bradshaw right through to young Mel Eves, Wolves were magnificent. They forced Forest into elementary errors and even over the final 20 minutes when fretful Forest tried to polish up their tarnished reputation, Wolves were superb in defence.

Wolves always felt if they could hold the European champions for the first 20 minutes, they would have a better chance of winning.

Forest tried to establish that early important lead and Trevor Francis was pushed alongside Emlyn Hughes in an attempt to capitalise on the Wolves skipper's slow turning. It worked a couple of times and Wolves lived dangerously as the ball fled across the goal. But gradually Forest became frustrated.

George Berry grew in stature, providing clear evidence he has learned from the master, Hughes; they were brilliant in harness.

Wolves' man of the match was little Willie Carr who was achieving a life-time ambition of playing at Wembley just five years to the day that he made his debut for Wolves.

Like a puppy that snaps at your legs, Carr harassed and hampered Ian Bowyer and Martin O'Neill into errors and they ultimately realised this was no puppy, but a snarling watch-dog.

Carr took control of the middle , Hibbit supported him, and while Wolves' attacking build-up may not have looked as pretty as Forest's it was much more effective.

To such an extent that Needham and Viv Anderson were reduced to cumbersome, crude and ruthless hacking down of Richards, Gray, Eves and Hibbit. They deserved the punishment of bookings for what they did.

Forest's opportunities became rarer as the game went on. Hughes, reduced to a hobbling cripple at the end, dictated the ultimate pace of the game, using the tenacious Geoff Palmer and evergreen Derek Parkin as extra support to win the day.