Whilst many if not most will remember United’s FA Cup win of 1999 for Ryan Giggs’ spectacular solo effort or the part it played in the treble, the 4th round tie with Liverpool was just as exciting.
A tie Sir Alex claimed was pivotal in United doing the treble that year, it certainly didn’t lack excitement.
Liverpool must have gone into the game in buoyant spirits having just dismantled Southampton 7-1 and their spirits were to be raised further as they took the lead early as the 3rd minute after, by Sir Alex’s admission, Owen was able to score a header after Gary Neville fell asleep at the back post.
United battled valiantly to get back into the game, hitting the woodwork twice in the second half but it looked like Owen’s early header would hand the Scousers a win on our patch. Come the 85th minute they were odds on to progress to the next round but United’s famous fighting spirit wouldn’t allow for it.
A pinpoint freekick from David Beckham brought United’s lethal duo of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke into play as Cole’s cushioned header left Yorke with the simple task of slotting homing from close range and leaving the tie looking like it would go to a replay.
But United aren’t usually a team that does things by halves.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already had a reputation as being a lethal hit man especially from the bench and this game further added to his reputation when in the game’s dying moments the Norwegian nicked the ball off of Paul Scholes’ toes and wrong footed the keeper to send United fans crazy.
Solskjaer’s reaction as well as the roar from the fans showed how much the goal meant and it meant Liverpool would have to wait just that little bit longer to beat United in the FA Cup, it was nearly 80 years so a few more wouldn’t hurt!
