Manning: Named MVP after marvellous display

Also see

• Super Bowl XLII picture gallery
• Super Bowl XLII - As it happened
• Manning - It's hard to believe
• Coughlin hails his Giants
• Brady stung by defeat

The New York Giants produced one of the biggest shocks in Super Bowl history with a 17-14 win over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

Eli Manning engineered a game-winning drive that concluded in the final minute with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Plaxico Burress, putting the Giants back in front for a third and final time.

The quarterback was named MVP for his display, meaning he follows in the footsteps of elder brother Peyton, who won Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts last year.

While Manning and his group of receivers worked late magic to pull a rabbit out of the hat it was the performance of New York's defence that was the star turn in what is known as the greatest show on Earth.

Heavy favourites

Going into the contest 18-0 on the year, New England were heavy favourites to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy for a fourth time in seven seasons.

However, the high-powered offence that had set a regular season record for points was shut down in spectacular fashion.

Quarterback Tom Brady endured a particularly rough night, getting sacked five times and hurried on plenty more occasions as the Giants decided the best form of defence was attack, blitzing at every opportunity.

The reigning MVP did though manage to produce a touchdown pass to Randy Moss to put his side 14-10 ahead with under three minutes to go.

New England's other score came on the first play of the second quarter when running back Laurence Maroney bulldozed his way in from the one-yard line.

That made it 7-3 to the Patriots after they had fallen behind on the opening drive of the game, Scottish-born kicker Laurence Tynes ending a near 10-minute spell of possession for the Giants with a 32-yard field goal.

The next points didn't come until the fourth quarter, Manning following up a crucial 45-yard completion to tight end Kevin Boss with a six-yard throw to give David Tyree his first touchdown reception of the season.

Brady - no stranger to late comeback in Super Bowls - responded in typical fashion, marching the Patriots downfield in double quick time to find a wide open Moss in the end zone.

With a four-point lead and with time running out New England looked set to become the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to run the table through an entire campaign.

But the Giants had not read the script, instead deciding to write their only fairytale finish into the history books of the NFL.

Keeping cool

Manning showed the kind of coolness under pressure previously unseen in his NFL career, carefully picking his passes and even somehow managing to wriggle out of what would have been a crucial sack when harassed by three New England defenders.

He was also given a helping hand by Pats cornerback Asante Samuel, who let an interception slip from his grasp. It was a miss that would prove costly.

A six-yard lob seconds later to Burress, who had not trained all week due to an ankle injury and had caught just one ball previously, meant the Giants were within 35 seconds of an improbable upset.

For once Brady was unable to produce a late miracle, a long fourth-down pass attempt to Moss falling incomplete with one second remaining.

Although there was still one play to go coaches Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick met in the middle of the field to shake hands. Belichick didn't even wait to see the final snap, heading straight off to the locker room.

There were to be no such swift departures by the new world champions, who in winning for an 11th straight time on the road became the first NFC Wild Card team to lift the trophy. It is the third Super Bowl success in the franchise's history and their first since 1990.