FINALLY BEATEN

 

(Image taken from Manutd.com)

We'd already faced Wolves in the Premiership this season and took care of business with a 2-1 win at Old Tafford, albeit one that needed an injury time winner. Since then...well we'd risen to the top of the league, Wolves had fallen to the bottom...and Gary Neville, one of the generation of players that redefined United in the mid 90s retired...well all I can say is that ABUs may have hated him...but who cares what they think. Yes he hadn't been on top form for years but long ago he had confirmed his place as an MUFC immortal. In the meantime the club had to carry on...starting with this Premiership trip to Molineux. For United it was Rafael right back, Vidic and Evans central defence.

United were in no mood to hang around and in the 3rd minute Nani surged in from the right before firing in another quality goal. Not that Wolves were going to lie down, and after United failed to clear one 10th minute effort, Matt Jarvis found George Elokobi who levelled things. Both sides looked like they had their uses in the latter stages of the half and I don't think many would have predicted that in the 40th minute Nenad Milijas's cross which would have found Kevin Doyle's head which would have hit the net. Fact is though, United couldn't find an equaliser before half time. We'd recovered from worse situations this season though.

The early stages of the second half didn't provide much to be optimistic about though. United certainly had chances but couldn't seem to do much with them and the longer the game went on the more frustrated United got. More fresh legs were incoming but the home side proved to be a stubborn bunch of bits, they had already mugged one or two big names this season on their turf and one of our guys attempting a Maradona didn't do us much credit. As it was well...the equaliser could not be found, forcing United to deal with their first Premiership defeat of the season. That'll give hope to our rivals, but they've got a long way to go yet.

Elsewhere, Arsenal faced Newcastle at St James Park. Theo Walcott opened the scoring for the Gunners with Johan Djourou getting their second and Robin van Persie making it three and then grabbing a second goal before half time. You'd have thought that would have been game over but the Magpies had other ideas. Joey Barton slotted a pen, Leon Clark pulled another back, Barton got a second pen then Ismael Chiek Tiote grabbed an equaliser right at the end! That leaves United still top of the Premiership though we're now only four points ahead of second placed Arsenal. Bottom line they all still have to get past us to win the title and I doubt that'll be easy.

North of the border, Aberdeen faced SD1 Dunfirmline in the Scottish Cup 5th round at Pittodrie. Well both sides exchanged early chances but neither of them came to anything and the first half ended goalless and relatively uneventful. In the second half though both sides turned up the heat and it was the Dons that were able to keep with the pace better but they still had to put the ball in the net. That eventually happened with help from Dunfirmline defender Neil McGregor. Job done and Craig Brown was very happy with the result, though the Dons performance wasn't exactly a vintage one. Still, their first Scottish Cup quarter final spot since the Jimmy Calderwood era of 08/09 is nothing to complain about.

Elsewhere, well while no SPL sides got mugged on this occasion, one all-SPL tie was settled when Hamilton faced Dundee United at New Douglas Park. Jon Daly opened the scoring for the Tangerines with Paul Dixon making it two before halftime. The home side then pulled one back early in the second half thanks to Mickael Antoine-Curier however the visitors got their third thanks to Prince Buaben and after that the Accies weren't able to come back. So, that leaves seven SPL sides taking part in the quarter finals which well...it's making it look like one of the tamer Cup campaigns in Scottish football history but that's fine by me.

In the meantime the quarter final draw has been made and Aberdeen will face St Mirren at St Mirren Park in an all-SPL tie. This is by far the toughest tie test the Dons have faced in the competition for obvious reasons though the Dons do have the edge in the SPL table at the moment, still, playing on the Buddies turf will certainly be a leveller. So far the two sides have one win each in the SPL but the last time the Dons were at St Mirren Park was in the Mark McGhee era when they lost 2-1. The Dons form has certainly improved in the Craig Brown era though but this game cannot be taken for granted. As I Dons fan I'll be optimistic and predict them to make the semis but I'm not taking anything for granted.

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