FaC: Reading 2 - 3 United (R)
After a sensational three goal start, United limped home in the FA Cup replay against Reading, to earn a quarter final match with Middlesborough.
United began with eight changes to the side which had been on show at Fulham last Saturday. Fans, nervous at the prospect of the club’s FA cup chances being in the hands of a poorly viewed second string, were instantly relieved.
On two minutes, in United’s very first attack, John O’Shea interchanged neatly with Wes Brown and cut into the box from the right. His run and some clever support play by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, drew in Reading’s defenders who were unable to clear their lines, allowing the Irsihman’s cutback to find Gabriel Heinze, stationed on the left just outside the box.
The Argentine’s sweetly struck shot aimed straight at the Royals’ reserve keeper Federici should have been saved comfortably. Alas, the Aussie hero of the first match at Old Trafford allowed the strike to squirm underneath his body to United’s celebrations.
It was a perfect opening to a tricky game, which got better a minute later when a long diagonal pass from Rio Ferdinand in his own half, found Louis Saha sprinting towards the opposition goal between Reading’s two defenders. The Frenchman showed all his early season form to control the ball marvellously on his chest and blast his left foot shot past the goalkeeper from an acute angle. Reading and Federici were as disappointed as United were delirious.
Reading now had no choice but to push upfield in search of an opening. This was their undoing. In the fifth minute, the much maligned Kieran Richardson broke up an attack inside his own half. The winger’s long precise pass found Solskjaer in acres of space on United’s right. The Norweigian striker still had much to do as he approached Reading’s goal but with the insouciance of a natural finisher, Solskjaer found the back of the net with a curling shot from the outside of his boot. It was a tremendous goal to cap the most sensational six minutes of United’s season.
This being United and with the game seemingly over as contest, Sir Alex’s men relaxed and allowed a willing home side to recover its composure. United’s midfield conceded ground and relied on the superior class of the forwards, Saha in particular, to punish Reading’s endeavour.
It was not to be. Reading were rewarded for their enterprise in the 22nd minute when Oster’s corner kick, flicked on by Ingimarsson at the near post found Kitson unmarked at the far post. He converted with a routine header. It was United’s turn to be embarrassed by such a rudimentary failure.
The Royals continued to carry the fight to United as the second half began and brought more and more discomfort to the visitors. The fightback made a nonsense of Steve Coppell’s decision to play his second eleven. Reading are in no danger of relegation and may indeed qualify for the Uefa Cup through a top six finish. Yet, in a replay match against opponents fielding a severely weakened team, surely it made better sense to play a full strength side with the very real hope of victory and the chance of a winnable quarter final?
That point was rammed home in the 84th minute when Reading substitute Leroy Lita, scored with a header from a right wing De La Cruz cross. The match was poised for a barnstorming finish.
United were reeling and Edwin van der Sar looked on helplessly as Gunarsson cut in from the left in stoppage time and sent his fierce shot goalwards. To United’s great relief, the strike crashed onto the crossbar and the danger was averted.
TEAM
United: Van der Sar; Heinze ; Ferdinand; Silvestre; Brown; Richardson Fletcher; O’Shea; Park; Saha (Rooney 76); Solskjaer (Ronaldo 89)
Subs: Kuszczak, Scholes, Smith
POST SCRIPT
Sir Alex - Man Utd.Com: “It was a marvellous start - our best ever. But sometimes that can be a problem. In a cup tie, you might think, ‘That’s us through.’
“But losing a goal after twenty-odd minutes just gave Reading a lifeline. They took that lifeline and made it very difficult for us in the second half. I was thinking to myself I need to start preparing for extra-time because the game was with them. I told Scholesy to get ready for extra-time because I thought it was looking that way. We’d lost our momentum with Louis Saha coming off. He had so many fouls against him, eventually it told. He had a kick in the calf and he had to come off.
“It was a fantastic cup tie. Credit to both sides, they put on a great show. Anyone watching that can only be delighted with the performance of both teams.”
Steve Coppell - Sky: “It was the worst start possible. You talk before the game about keeping things tight, but it wasn’t long and we were 3-0 down. It was like an avalanche. For us to come back in the way we did, it was a fabulous second half and huge respect for my players at the end.”
