SAINTS were cruelly denied their first major trophy for 41 years after coming back from 2-0 down – only to concede an 87th-minute winner to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Manchester United were 2-0 up through a sumptuous Ibrahimovic free-kick and a clinical 38th minute strike from Jesse Lingard.
But sensational Saints came back to make it 2-2 thanks to a brace of goals from new fans’ favourite Manolo Gabbiadini either side of half-time.
Gabbiadini had been unfortunate to have a goal disallowed for offside early on.
But with the momentum behind them after the Italian’s two-goal salvo, Saints midfielder Oriol Romeu headed against the post after Nathan Redmond’s volley was tipped over the bar.
Saints looked the most likely to win what would have been their first major trophy since the 1976 FA Cup.
But they and their magnificent 32,000 fans were left heartbroken when the unmarked Ibrahimovic headed in the late winner.
Saints had thrived after Claude Puel named an unchanged team for the first time since taking over as Saints manager, keeping faith with the team that beat Sunderland 4-0.
Backed by a 32,000-strong wall of sound from behind their goal, Saints soon made their presence felt against a United line-up included six changes from the team that beat St Etienne - their fifth successive win - on Wednesday night.
United had the first shot on target, Forster beating away Paul Pogba’s vicious fourth-minute strike after a measured one-two with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
But Saints were not cowed by the occasion. Far from it. From Romeu’s pass, Redmond went on one of his jinking runs before winning a corner.
A patient Saints move ended with a fantastic run from Bertrand, who followed his skip past Antonio Valencia with a dangerous low cross.
It came out to Cedric, who played it back into the six-yard box with an outside-of-the-boot pass that Gabbiadini tapped in from the edge of the six-yard box, only to be flagged offside.
To the frustration of the underdogs, replays showed the Italian to be level with United captain Chris Smalling.
It got worse for Saints.
Romeu, who has been a colossus at the heart of Saints’ midfield this season, went into referee Andre Marriner’s notebook for an 18th-minute foul on Herrera.
Ibrahimovic responded by scoring the opening goal from the resulting free-kick, a fabulous dead ball over the wall and into Fraser Forster’s bottom right corner.
The brilliant Swede took the opportunity with aplomb, getting it up and over the Saints wall for his 25th goal of the season from 25 yards.
Saints rallied. After Yoshida’s well-timed tackle on Ibrahimovic, a good run by Tadic was snuffed out before Ward-Prowse’s first-time drive from Gabbiadini’s lay-off was saved by a diving De Gea, who also did well to keep out Tadic’s left- footer from the edge of the area.
Despite trailing, Saints continued to knock it around nicely and from a corner gave United a scare at the near post.
But the lead was doubled in the 38th minute when Lingard controlled a pass from the left with his right foot before letting it roll across him and sidefooting it into the bottom right corner.
Jack Stephens was booked soon after the restart for a foul on Martial and Lingard went into the book for dissent.
Then Saints scored on the stroke of half-time. Redmond fed Ward-Prowse and his cross from the right was converted at the near post by Gabbiadini.
Michael Carrick came on for Juan Mata at half-time, but Saints were electric at the start of the second half.
Redmond’s terrific volley was tipped over the bar and from the resulting flag kick, Yoshida won a second corner at the far post.
It was headed back into the area and Gabbiadini, with his back to goal and Smalling immediately behind him, turned on the penalty spot before clinically hooking a volleyed equaliser into the bottom corner.
Saints’ marvellous support was in raptures.
Forster saved well at the feet of Ibrahimovic from Martial’s pass but Saints soon threatened again.
Valenica conceded a corner under pressure from Bertrand following Cedric’s whipped cross.
From Ward-Prowse’s flag kick, Romeu climbed above Pogba to head against the far post.
Saints were in the ascendancy and still had half an hour to make it count.
A great tackle from Yoshida on Lingard kept United at bay and from Martial’s cross, Lingard fired over at the back post.
It was Lingard’s last action of the half as Marcus Rashford was introduced.
For Saints Sofiane Boufal came on for Tadic and Gabbiadini came off to a standing ovation to be replaced by semi-final hero Shane Long.
Forster denied Rashford at his near post and with five minutes left of normal time another Bertrand cross fizzed across the six-yard box.
Then it happened. United countered before Herrera chipped in a cross to the unmarked Ibrahimovic, who made no mistake from the edge of the six-yard box.
Saints: De Forster, Cedric, Yoshida, Stephens, Bertrand; Romeu, Davis (Rodriguez 90), Ward-Prowse, Tadic (Boufal 77), Redmond, Gabbiadini (Long 83).
Unused Subs: Hassen (GK), Caceres, McQueen, Hojbjerg,
Booked: Romeu, Redmond, Stephens.
Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Rojo, Pogba, Mata (Carrick 45), Ibrahimovic, Martial, Lingard (Rashford 77), Herrera, Subs: Rooney, Blind, Young, Romero, Fellaini.
Booked: Lingard, Herrera.
Attendance: 85,264
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