So close Irons but too little too late
Too little too late but you have to feel proud of them.
Let’s get real – you can’t start playing 12 minutes from the end after going two down and expect to get the result although it so nearly nearly happened.
James Tomkins scored with one of the bravest low headers you will ever see after a Payet corner was headed back in by aerial bomber Andy Carroll.
It was a collector’s item to place alongside a terrific defensive performance from the fella.
And then we laid siege to their goal and but for an amazing double save from De Gea and a final Kouyate header was ruled out for offside, we’d be in extra time now.
Emineke had blasted over, Andy Carroll too and in the end we were in despair – just unable to claw back a two goal lead provided by a sensational Rashford curled effort and a Fellaini clincher.
Before that pulsating climax – or should it be anti climax – we had been second best, standing off United, allowing them too much space and simply letting them play.
The defending was sloppy particularly for the second goal whilst Antonio paid a heavy price when losing possession for the move that finished with Rashford’s strike.
We had started brightly enough but once the early fizz had left the bottle after 20 minutes the visitors took control and Slaven Bilic’s pre-match warning that van Gaal always seems to get a result when he needs it most took shape.
This had never been in the script – a defeat on our last ever Cup tie under the Boleyn lights but the FA Cup competition has no respect of scripts and we swallow it just like us London boys always do.
We move on and I wouldn’t want to be where Leicester are sitting at the weekend – we’re hurting.