Dave Beasant promoted and stayed loyal to the club even when they were relegated again in 1982, being a key player in the side that won the Fourth Division title in 1983, won promotion from the Third Division a year later, and completed a four-season rise to the First Division in 1986 when they gained promotion from the Second Division in only their ninth season as a Football League team. He became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final when he blocked John Aldridge's spot-kick for Liverpool in 1988, and in doing so helped Wimbledon secure a
1988 Football League Cup Final Having received consent from the police to stage the second leg at Kenilworth Road, a near-capacity crowd saw Luton win 2–0. Arsenal, the match favourites and holders of the Football League Cup, were making their fourth final appearance in the competition. They had won the League Cup once before, in 1987, and lost two consecutive finals in 1968 and 1969. By contrast Luton Town were making their first League Cup final appearance. The club enjoyed relative success in the cups during the 1987–88 season, reaching the last four of the FA Cup and final of the Full Members Cup. Arsenal