Steelers win Super Bowl

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won their sixth title after they held off an Arizona Cardinals fightback to win Super Bowl XLIII 27-23 in Tampa.

Trailing 23-20 inside the final minute, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found Santonio Holmes in the back of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown but also threw an interception. Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, meanwhile finished 31 of 43 for 377 yards with three touchdowns, of which wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald caught two, and an interception.

Roethlisberger thought he had given Pittsburgh the lead on the first drive of the game when the quarterback dived into the end zone from a yard but Arizona challenged the call and the touchdown was nullified as replays showed his knee was down. Jeff Reed then chipped an 18-yard field goal to put the Steelers 3-0 up.

The advantage was extended to 10-0 at the start of the second quarter as Gary Russell drove in from a yard on third down and Reed added the extra point. Arizona hit back when Anquan Boldin's 45-yard reception was followed by Ben Patrick's acrobatic one-yard catch in the endzone.

However, quarterback Kurt Warner was intercepted on the Pittsburgh goalline just before half-time and James Harrison took the ball back 100 yards for a touchdown to give the Steelers a 17-7 lead at the interval.

Reed converted a 21-yard field goal with 2:16 left in the third to make the score 20-7 but Larry Fitzgerald caught a one-yard pass from Kurt Warner to bring the Cardinals within six points with under eight minutes remaining in the game.

Arizona recorded a safety with just under three minutes to go when Pittsburgh were penalised for holding with the ball at their own one-yard line after Roethlisberger had connected with Holmes to seemingly get them out of trouble.

Worse was to follow for the Steelers as Warner found Fitzgerald over the middle and the wide receiver outran the chasing defenders for a 64-yard score to put the Cardinals up 23-20.

However, with 35 seconds remaining Roethlisburger found Santonio Holmes with a six-yard pass in the back of the end zone and the wide receiver athletically stretched to haul the ball in and seal the win.