Utd Hold On Against Reading Fightback

Well after six minutes off this FA Cup replay you could have been forgiven for turning the television off or switching to another channel because by then Utd were already 3 - 0 ahead against a shell-shocked Reading. And if you had turned off that would have been a mistake because Steve Coppell’s men have proved this season they deserve to be at the “top table” and play the likes of Utd. They fought back and set-up up a grandstand finish when Leroy Lita made it 3 - 2 with 6 minutes of normal time remaining.

The six minute scoring spree was opened by the Argentine International defender Gabriel Heinze on 2 minutes. It was a lucky goal, his shot from 25 yards sneaked in under Adam Federici’s body. Not the best start for Reading and of course it just got worse, and they didn’t have to wait long either. Within 2 minutes, Luis Saha drove a beautiful angled volley and then after another 2 minutes Ole Gunnar Solksjaer rounded things off. 2 minutes, 4, minutes, 6 minutes, hmmm a pattern was forming. Though it must be said that Reading didn’t help themselves in those first 6 minutes. The goals were, quite frankly, the result of some pretty poor defending. But fortunately for Reading it stopped there. They sorted themselves out and held on and after 23 minutes a Dave Kitson header gave Reading a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps Utd thought that by half time the game was as good as over because their midfield especially in the second half seemed to turn off a little and Reading sensed it and took advantage. Reading eventually capitalised on this and with six minutes of normal time left up popped Lita and converted from 12 yards. That turned the volume up a little and we were in for an exciting finish to an excellent FA Cup tie.

Oh, and Reading were so so close to pulling off a remarkable, and quite frankly after 6 minutes impossible, comeback. With what most have been only seconds remaining on the referees’ watch, Brynjar Gunnarsson drove the ball from 20 yards out, it beat Edwin Van de Sar in the Utd goal, but as everyone in the Madejski Stadium held their breath, the ball crashed into the crossbar and that was that. Inches away from extra time!

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Many thanks
Rik