That match, officiated by Martin Atkinson, was a derby to remember, with Michael Owen slotting home a magnificent injury time goal...6 minutes into injury time. Of course the Dark Side thought it was too much time, but every official agreed Atkinson was spot on for the time.
So...fast forward to April 17. The Reds made the somber drive to Middle Eastlands to take on a desperate Dark Side, who needed a win to slide into fourth spot in the table and the all-important Champions League playoff spot. The Reds would need the Force and their knighted Yoda to muster a win that could keep them in the hunt for their unprecedented fourth-straight Prem League title.
Before the match even started, the Blues were haggling about the last-minute appointment of Martin Atkinson as the official. Steve Bennett, who was supposed to be the main man, was stuck in Spain because of the halt in air travel across Europe due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Instead of taking a champion's mentality (something of which the Dark Side know nothing) they complained vociferously to the FA, who of course said, "Wha?...you blue Mancs is a right dodgy bunch, r ya?"
Throughout the first half, United had many chances to score and just couldn't connect. The only chance the Dark Side had was a freekick by a Troll...no go. At the half, the 0-0 score was nothing like the first derby in September.
During the second half United continued to dominate possession, with Valencia easily outhustling the third member of the Terry/Perroncel/Bridge love triangle that rocked the prem league earlier in the season (Wayne Bridge...although his estranged girlfriend could have been playing for all he was worth), and also tamed the pit bull, Bellamy. He put in several balls to Giggs and Rooney but they couldn't get a goal. Nani came on and left his mark in the dust. He also had many chances to score and slotted wide each time. Would this really end in a draw?
Nope.
Paul Scholes, who on Wednesday signed a new deal to keep him at United for one more year, decided to take things head on...he put a perfect ball past Shay Given from a superb cross by Nani. 0-1 United. That's where the score would end...in the 92nd minute...just 20 seconds from the end of the match. Oooooooo...life can be so harsh. But, when you follow the Dark Side, that's what you get! Poetry. Pure poetry.
Some pics of my fine Reds in action:
Buh-Bye! Go, Giggsy!
Vidic was in fine form today. Go Vida!
ALERT FOR SMALL CHILDREN!!
Ewwwww...I hope Patrice has had his Troll shots.
Scholesy bangin' one home!
The lads seemed to appreciate it!
And so did Yoda!
Gary doing what Gary does best...winding up the opposition fans and reminding them that there is only one badge worth kissin' in Manchester!
PG-13 ALERT!
Obviously he thought Scholesy had his badge on his face...
Another highlight of my day: Spurs 2-1 C-Scum. Not only did their loss bolster the title chances of United (and Arsenal...can't leave out the Gunners), but I also correctly guessed the exact score of this match on I Know The Score (Premleague.com), which gave me 30 points! Woo hoo! Now my dearest United are only 1 point adrift of the C-Club, instead of 4. This makes the draw at Blackburn all the more painful, as a win there would have put us atop the table by 2 points.
And now for the downs of footy:
My sweet Frenchmen are foundering. Although MC Header scored from a Gourcuff cross in the 25th minute to put les Girondins ahead of their most-hated rivals, Lyon, it wasn't enough. A very rough game to watch, and especially since the backup keeper was in goal for Bordeaux. Rame has done well throughout the season, but today he was crap. He let in two goals (and almost a third) due to...well...I don't even know what. The Girondins kept going ahead, and the second goal was a beauty by Jaroslav Plasil!
The match ended in a melee, with three players being sent off. Reveiller for Lyon hacked down Tremoulinas on the touchline and was given a straight red. Off you go. But then (as the idiot cameras panned back), something else happened and the Lyon players cleared the bench and came on to the field. Somewhere in the midst of this, Tremoulinas and Jussie for Bordeaux were also sent off. Pjanic (who became my hero when he scored against RM to send them packing in the CL) was acting like an arse and should have been sent off as well. For his behavior, Chalme smacked him to the ground but the ref didn't see it, so instead of playing two men down, we only played one man down. It didn't matter as there was only a minute and a half to play...but the unfortunateness of the sendings off mirrors the decline in Bordeaux' play since January. Sitting atop the table then with a 10-point spread and a game in hand, the Marine et Blanc have managed to bottle it down the stretch. I think their CL success was their undoing...too many games to play and also their backed-up Ligue 1 play (weather and CL matches). I'm happy for Marouane, and even happier that his goal was assisted by his compatriot Gourcuff. It won't be many more matches before these two are separated, as Marouane is rumored to be leaving for Arsenal. Sniff. He confirmed in a post-match interview last week that he only has five weeks left in Bordeaux and that it is "practically sure" that he will be leaving. Sniff.
Oui, mon chere, your 16th goal of the season WAS choice!
Many no-calls against Marouane...tsk tsk
Now Now, boys! WWF in the LFP.
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