Manchester United Survive Coventry Late Show To Reach FA Cup Final
Manchester United scraped into the FA Cup final on penalties despite throwing away a three-goal lead against Championship side Coventry in an epic semi-final at Wembley.
In a very modern-day thriller, United came out on top in a penalty shootout they were losing at one stage.
A quite remarkable contest only got that far because Victor Torp’s effort in injury time in extra time was ruled out for offside by video assistant referee Peter Bankes.
But after Bradley Collins saved United’s first kick, from Casemiro, Andre Onana denied Callum O’Hare, then unsettled Ben Sheaf with some verbal jousting – and the Coventry captain missed – allowing Rasmus Hojlund to win it.
What the watching United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe made of it would be interesting to know. Thirty-four years ago, Mark Robins’ goalscoring heroics in the FA Cup kept Sir Alex Ferguson in a job. Who knows what damage Robins’ Coventry side have done to Erik ten Hag’s chances of keeping his?
United thought they were cruising to a repeat of last season’s final with neighbours Manchester City when they led 3-0 thanks to goals from Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes.
But in front of Ratcliffe, who had completed the London Marathon earlier in the day, co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer and new technical director Jason Wilcox, United imploded and Coventry took full advantage.
After Ellis Simms and O’Hare reduced the deficit, Haji Wright kept his nerve in stoppage time to score from the spot and send the game into extra time.
For a brief moment, Torp allowed delirious Coventry fans to believe their team were coming back next month to try to emulate the Sky Blue heroes of their 1987 triumph over Tottenham.
It was not to be. But when it was all over, it was the Championship players who were taking the acclaim of their fans as Ten Hag and his players rather sheepishly made their way to the dressing rooms.
It is only the second time in the competition’s history that the same two teams have reached successive finals.
Blackburn Rovers beat Queen’s Park at Kennington Oval in 1884 and 1885.
United will hope to prevent City enjoying similar success after a 13-second opener from Ilkay Gundogan paved the way for a Blues victory 12 months ago.
The win keeps alive Ten Hag’s hopes of lifting silverware in both his seasons as United manager.
Yet the win just brings more questions for him.
For an hour, United were dominant and in control, with Casemiro excelling in central defence.
Then, not for the first time in recent weeks, they found the self-destruct button and hit it hard.
Even for a team who led deep into stoppage time at Brentford and drew, and led deep into stoppage time at Chelsea and lost, this was a new low.
