ASK Gordon Banks to nominate the most important save of his distinguished career and he doesn't go for Mexico 1970, but West Ham 1971.

While his wonder save against Pelé in the World Cup ranks as his best, the former Stoke and England great has consistently felt his save in a League Cup semi-final second leg at Upton Park in December 1971 was his most significant.

It was a penalty save in the dying moments of extra-time which, had he failed to make, would have seen Stoke exit the League Cup and never accomplish that famous Wembley win over Chelsea some three months later.

West Ham had won the first leg at the Victoria Ground 2-1, but Stoke were leading 1-0 in the return before Banks's penalty heroics.

What made the save even more special was the fact Banks himself had been guilty of a rare error in conceding the spot-kick by felling Harry Redknapp following a mix-up with full-back Micky Pejic.

And then who should step up to take the penalty? None other than his 1966 World Cup-winning colleague Geoff Hurst.

The penalty was blasted high to his right and would have left mere mortals floundering, but Banks, pictured below, beat the ball away to save his side.

"The Pelé save was probably the better one," he said, "but the Hurst one was the more important.

"Geoff had taken a penalty in the first leg at Stoke and I had pushed it into the side of the goal. This time, I gambled he would send it the same way – and he did.

"I shoved my hands into the air and put the ball over the bar. Stopping Geoff was special and it was the first penalty he'd ever missed."

His heroics were nominated last year as one of the top 50 League Cup moments as part of a celebration to mark the competition's half-century.

Dennis Tueart's overhead kick to win the 1976 final for Manchester City against Newcastle was subsequently voted the best-ever in an on-line poll.

As for Stoke back in 1971, there were no penalty shoot-outs in those days, so they and West Ham re-convened for a replay at Hillsborough.

A 0-0 draw after extra-time meant a second replay at Old Trafford, and finally the goals started to flow.

Stoke prevailed 3-2 thanks to strikes from Micky Bernard, Peter Dobing and Terry Conroy, paving the way for their Wembley victory over Chelsea on March 4.

Conroy, despite scoring Stoke's first at Wembley, has always maintained that his winner in that second replay against West Ham was his own magic moment during that unforgettable cup run. "About five minutes after the restart," he recalled, "I managed to give us the lead and it was a lead we fought tooth and nail to preserve.

"When the final whistle blew I can't describe the joy and relief I felt. Stoke were at Wembley for the first time in their history."