UNITED SCRABBLE BACK TO SUMMIT

 

(Image taken from Manutd.com)

Well the last time Derby were in the Premiership was in 01/02. Colin Todd started the season as their manager but United beating them 5-0 with Solksjaer, Keanos and the Ruud boy all on the scoresheet and the Rams soon in relegation trouble meant that he didn't last very long. Some guy called Billy McEwan took over for Janurary '02 before he was replaced by John Gregory who made an effort and got his guys to pull off a 2-2 draw with us at Pride Park with Juan Sebastian Veron hitting the net for us but there was no stopping them going down. Still, the last time we beat them at their place was back in 00/01. 3-0 at Pride Park.

This time round, well Rams fans must have been getting deja vu. Billy Davies started the season as manager but then didn't last long, a Kevin Thelwell came in as caretaker and then Paul Jewell came to the rescue only for us to whack them at Old Trafford. Now we were heading to Pride Park with Derby already confirmed as this season's dead men walking. Ben Foster made his United debut in goal, O'Shea right back, Brown and Vidic central defence, Park right mid, Scholes and Anderson centre mid, Giggsy left mid and captain, Rooney and Ronaldo up front.

Well United were hammering the Derby defence from the start but ex-United reserve goalie Roy Carroll kept getting in the way and it wasn't long before the United attackers started to get more and more fustrated. And at the other end, Derby were getting big ideas and despite surely having nothing to play for now were giving their fans quite a show. United ended the half on the attack but still couldn't find the net and the halftime scoreboard made for nervy viewing.

United continued to hammer the home goal at the start of the second half but we were still blowing chances and it looked as though the Rams might be able to hold out, their defence holding off freekicks and open play shots alike! Finally though in the 76th minute Rooney fired in a cross that found Ronaldo in open space and the Red Army breathed a collective sigh of relief as "that boy" scored. He could have then made it two, but we were happy with the three points.

Elsewhere, Arsenal faced Middlesborough at the Emirates Stadium. Boro opened the scoring through Jeremie Aladiere, the strike by the former Gunners not what his old club had in mind. Late on in the match the Gunners went all out attack, desperate for an equaliser and Kole Toure was the one who scrambled it in, Arsene Wenger's crew were unable to complete the turnaround though. Which allows United to move to the top of the Premiership, level on points with the Gunners +8 goal difference advantage and a game in hand.

North of the border, Aberdeen faced the troubled Gretna at Pittodrie. The SPL's dead men walking still looked up for giving the Dons a match but it was Maguire that opened the scoring before half time. The Dons kept battering the underdogs goal though and forced their rookie goalie into conceding a penalty which Miller slotted. Nicholson made it three and finally the Dons have got themselves a win for the first time in ages, good preparation for a midweek Cup replay.

Elsewhere, Falkirk faced Inverness CT at the Caledonian Stadium. The first half was a tight vut interesting midtable affair with Caley having the edge over the visitors. The two sides sesumed the battle in the second half but just as Caley looked ready to kill off the visitors, Billy Clarke hit the winner for Falkirk. That leaves the Dons in 8th place in the SPL, three points behind Falkirk and the top of the table but still thirty one points ahead of Gretna which must be enough to ensure they won't be relegated!

In the meantime Rangers faced Dundee United in the CIS Insurance Cup final at Hampden Park. It was the Tangerines that opened the scoring with Noel Hunt the man looking to make himself a hero. The Gers replied by batting the opposition goal throughout the second half and their superior class told with Kris Boyd grabbing an equaliser. The Blues were unable to find an immediate winner but they had bought themselves extra time at least.

In extra time it was again the Tayside team that had the better start and Mark de Vries hit the net to again give them the lead and again the Old Firm side had it all to do. However they pulled it off again in the second half of extra time, again through Boyd and again neither side was able to find a winner so the game went to penalties! The Gers won the shootout 3-2 and so they won the Scottish League Cup for the first time since beating Motherwell 5-1 at Hampden back in '05!

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