Goliath is slain. David stands victorious on the desert battlefield of Arizona. The New York Giants are Super Bowl XLII champions.

New England quarterback Tom Brady throws while being pressured during the first quarter of Super Bowl XLII in Arizona on Sunday.
(David J. Phillip/Associated Press)

Who'da thunk it?

In the biggest upset since Joe Namath led his New York Jets past the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, the Giants bested the heavy pre-game favourite New England Patriots, 17-14 Sunday at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

And it wasn't just any win, of course. It was a victory over an undefeated 18-0 club that came in an 11-point favourite and was thought to be, well, unbeatable.

But no one figured on this — a low-scoring, defensive struggle that ended when quarterback Eli Manning (the "other" Manning) hit Plaxico Burress with a pass on a "slant and go" with 35 seconds remaining that left the receiver wide open past defender Ellis Hobbs.

That put the Giants up by three points.

Tom Brady's attempt to bring the Patriots back ended in an incompletion, a sack from the superb Giants' defence, a long incompletion after a timeout and finally, on fourth and the whole season, another miss far down the sidelines.

New York became only the second NFC wild card team to run the table and win the championship. It's the franchise's third Super Bowl win and sixth NFL title.

At the same time, Manning matched his brother, Peyton, who won last year's game as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.

Patriots had gone ahead

Brady had hit Randy Moss in the end zone to put New England in front 14-10 with 2:42 left in the fourth quarter. The quarterback had taken over the ball, down 10-7, with 7:54 on the clock and the ball on his own 20.

Moss was wide open for the short touchdown pass because defender Corey Webster fell down while backpedalling and with 2:42 left, the Patriots went ahead 13-10. The convert made the lead four.

On the final scoring drive of the game, Manning had third and five from the 43, and seemed to be sacked, but somehow got out of the pile and fired it down to David Tyree at the New England 24.

The receiver jumped high in the air and pressed the ball against his helmet on the way down in order to hang onto the leather.

With first down at the 24, Manning again was surrounded by Patriots and had to attempt a run that gained nothing. New York took its final timeout with 50 seconds left.

Manning's second-down pass was tipped and almost caught by Tyree but he couldn't keep it in his grasp. But the quarterback found Steve Smith on a roll right, at the marker, for a first down on a great piece of awareness that set up the winning toss.

Manning had put Giants up earlier

Earlier in the fourth, Manning started New York's first go-ahead drive after a touchback that started the quarter.

From his own 20, the pivot hit rookie tight end Kevin Boss for a 45-yard gain down the right sideline. The pass was set up by excellent blocking from the offensive line and a sharp spiral to the receiver.

At the New England 35, a couple of running plays set up a 12-yard toss to Smith straight down the middle and a first down at the 12.

One play later, Manning ran a play action and found Tyree, who had about a half-step on Asante Samuel defending him, and the Giants had a touchdown and, with the convert, a 10-7 lead.

Giants held again

The Patriots ran the ball back to the 33, but with a holding penalty had to start on their own 11. A long pass to Moss for 17 looked promising but the Giants held yet again and the Pats punted.

Hoping to put together a long, clock-eating drive, New York was unable to come up with a first down and had to give the ball back.

Brady took over on his own 20 and within four plays had his club at the Giants 43, keyed by the 10th catch of the day by Welker. He was back again with his 11th on a crossing pattern down to 29.

Another pass off a play action found Moss down inside the 20. A short one up the middle to Kevin Faulk found space and the Patriots were first down and goal inside the seven yard line.

Brady missed Moss in the end zone to set up second and goal, and he threw behind Welker under fire from the blitz for third down. Moss then caught the pass for what Pats fans thought would be the win.

Pats led into the fourth

The Pats held a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter after neither team scored in the third 15 minutes.

Brady had been sacked four times by the Giants up to that point and was able to produce just one touchdown — a one-yard run early in the second quarter.

Manning led the underdog Giants to a number of long drives but only had a first quarter field goal to show for it.

Brady opened the second half with a drive that took his club up around midfield where the Pats stalled again, held in check by the Giants' defence. But on the punt, New York had 12 men on the field and Chase Blackburn took off for the sidelines, arriving just before the snap.

After referee Mike Cherry checked the replay under the hood, the Giants were called and with the penalty and five yards, New England kept the ball, first down on the New York 39-yard line.

A 14-yard run-and-catch by Faulk on third down and 13 kept the drive alive, but on the next third down, Michael Strahan ran Brady down from the backside. The Pats went on fourth and 13, but the pivot was long with a pass into the end zone.

That decision would come back to haunt the American Conference titlists.

Giants defence dominates opening half

A ferocious first half by the New York defence had the underdog Giants right in the game as they held the Pats' vaunted offence to just 81 net yards, including 61 in the air.

Brady was sacked three times and hurried 10 more, finishing the half 8-for-14 passing.

Included were two consecutive three-and-outs in the second quarter.

Manning's offence had the ball for 19:27 of the opening half, but could only come up with three points on an impressive first drive that took almost 10 minutes and ended with a 32-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes.

Apparently not that buoyed by the score, New York's kickoff team allowed Laurence Maroney to run the kickoff back 43 yards and put Brady and the Patriots' offence into good field position.

Brady, though he had a couple of poor throws, took the Patriots down to the 17 where he tried for Ben Watson in the end zone. But Watson was interfered with, putting New England first and goal on the one.

Two plays later, Maroney ran it in behind Stephen Neal and Nick Kaczur for the touchdown and, with the convert, a 7-3 lead.

Giants move again

Opening the second quarter down 7-3, the Giants moved the football again, this time from their own 40 (after an out-of-bounds kickoff) to the Pats' 15. There, on third down, Manning zipped one to Smith, who should have had it but let the leather skip out of his hands and into those of Ellis Hobbs for the interception.

That was the first pick thrown by the Giants' pivot since one to Hobbs in the Week 17 game between the two clubs.