Giants seal Super Bowl place

The New York Giants will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI after beating the San Francisco 49ers in overtime in the NFC Championship game last night.

Lawrence Tynes kicked the winning field goal from 31 yards to give the Giants a 20-17 victory at Candlestick Park.

The Patriots had earlier edged into the Super Bowl by beating the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in the AFC Championship game when kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal to force overtime.

Scotland-born Tynes said: “It’s amazing. It’s my second NFC Championship game and my second game-winner.

“I had dreams about this last night, but it was from 42 (yards) not 31.

“I was so nervous today, just anticipating this kind of game. I knew I was going to have to make a kick.”

Tynes also kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime at Green Bay in the 2008 NFC title game that put the Giants in the Super Bowl, where they beat the Patriots to end their quest for a perfect season.

Kyle Williams was the villain for the 49ers, fumbling a punt return in overtime to leave the Giants on the 24-yard line, from where three runs set up Tynes to seal the win.

Williams, returning kicks in place of the injured Ted Ginn, also failed to gather a punt early in the fourth quarter to set up the touchdown – a 17-yard pass from Eli Manning to Mario Manningham – which put the Giants ahead 17-14.

David Akers kicked a 25-yard field goal for the 49ers to take the game to overtime, but it was his opposite number Tynes who ended up as the hero.

Earlier, the New England Patriots edged into Super Bowl XLVI after Baltimore Ravens’ kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal to force overtime.

The Patriots beat the Ravens 23-20 in the AFC Championship game after Cundiff fluffed his lines with 11 seconds remaining following an excellent late drive led by quarterback Joe Flacco.

The Ravens could even have won it two plays earlier, but wide receiver Lee Evans was stripped of the ball in the end zone by cornerback Sterling Moore.

Cundiff had been successful with two earlier field goals, the first to tie the scores at 3-3 in the second quarter.

The Patriots moved 10-3 ahead with a seven-yard touchdown run from BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but the Ravens hit back when Flacco connected with tight end Dennis Pitta from six yards.

Two field goals from Stephen Gostkowski put the Patriots 16-10 ahead, but a 29-yard touchdown catch from Torrey Smith and Cundiff’s second field goal made it 20-16 to the Ravens.

The home side responded with a 63-yard drive which resulted in quarterback Tom Brady – who did not throw for a touchdown for the first time in 36 games - diving into the end zone from one yard out.

Brady guided the Patriots to their fifth AFC championship in 11 seasons and will seek a fourth Super Bowl trophy in Brady and coach Bill Belichick’s tenure on February 5 in Indianapolis.