Coventry City 3-3 Man Utd (aet; 2-4 on pens): Man Utd reach FA Cup final despite blowing 3-0 lead

[Pelican Press 0]

Coventry City 3-3 Man Utd (aet; 2-4 on pens): Man Utd reach FA Cup final despite blowing 3-0 lead

Harry Maguire scored at Wembley for the first time for Manchester *******

Manchester ******* 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, ******* 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 *******’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 ******* 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?

******* 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, ******* 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.

Final repeat but questions for Ten Hag’s team

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.

******* 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 ******* manager.

Yet the win just brings more questions for him.

For an hour, ******* 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.

And it all coincided with Alejandro Garnacho’s departure.

The Argentine wideman had to apologise for liking a couple of social media posts in the wake of the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth on 13 April, when he had been substituted amid Ten Hag’s hints he was not quite fulfilling his role properly.

Garnacho did not appear impressed to be replaced at Wembley either and walked slowly to the touchline, although he did at least acknowledge his manager on the way off.

It can only be wondered what he was thinking about the carnage in front of him.

Simms’ first-time effort should have been nothing more than a consolation.

Instead, ******* lost their shape, made rash decisions and found themselves exposed.

O’Hare’s goal required a huge slice of fortune but he was given too much time to ******.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was scurrying across the ******* box in a panic when he got his arm in the way of a cross that would have created a problem for his team anyway, but gave them an even ******* one as the contest went into extra time.

Beaten but brilliant Coventry

This was a day Coventry fans will remember forever, not far behind the epic 1987 final victory.

It was made all the more magical because of the pain the club have experienced in recent times, shunted into groundshares with Northampton and Birmingham amid a row with the club’s ownership and their landlords.

That trauma must have been in many minds as the players applauded their noisy and colourful support at the end.

Whilst the ******* end was virtually empty, thousands of Coventry fans remained and cheered as defender Joel Latibeaudiere gave a TV interview.

Robins is not given to displays of emotion and seemed quite calm at the end.

But inside, he must be a mixture of pride and agony, knowing how close his side had come to being the first Championship team since Cardiff in 2008 to reach the final.

Player of the match

TorpVictor Torp

Coventry City

1. Squad number29Player nameTorp

2. Squad number30Player nameFábio Tavares

3. Squad number9Player nameSimms

4. Squad number24Player nameGodden

5. Squad number3Player nameDasilva

6. Squad number11Player nameWright

7. Squad number2Player nameBinks

8. Squad number10Player nameO’Hare

9. Squad number27Player namevan Ewijk

10. Squad number14Player nameSheaf

11. Squad number28Player nameEccles

12. Squad number21Player nameBidwell

13. Squad number4Player nameThomas

14. Squad number15Player nameKitching

15. Squad number22Player nameLatibeaudiere

16. Squad number40Player nameCollins

Line-ups

Coventry

Formation 3-4-1-2

40Collins

4Thomas22Latibeaudiere15Kitching

27van Ewijk14Sheaf28Eccles21Bidwell

10O’Hare

9Simms11Wright

• 40CollinsBooked at 128mins
• 4ThomasBooked at 82mins
• 22LatibeaudiereSubstituted forTavares Desidérioat 63′minutesSubstituted forGoddenat 105′minutes
• 15KitchingSubstituted forBinksat 63′minutes
• 27van Ewijk
• 14Sheaf
• 28EcclesSubstituted forTorpat 63′minutes
• 21BidwellSubstituted forDasilvaat 80′minutesBooked at 111mins
• 10O’Hare
• 9Simms
• 11Wright

Substitutes

• 2Binks
• 3Dasilva
• 6Kelly
• 8Allen
• 13Wilson
• 24Godden
• 29Torp
• 30Tavares Desidério
• 54Andrews

Man Utd

Formation 4-2-3-1

24Onana

20Dalot18Casemiro5Maguire29Wan-Bissaka

39McTominay37Mainoo

17Garnacho8Bruno Fernandes10Rashford

11Højlund

• 24OnanaBooked at 127mins
• 20Dalot
• 18Casemiro
• 5Maguire
• 29Wan-Bissaka
• 39McTominaySubstituted forForsonat 103′minutes
• 37MainooSubstituted forEriksenat 72′minutes
• 17GarnachoSubstituted forAntonyat 66′minutes
• 8Bruno Fernandes
• 10RashfordSubstituted forDialloat 90+7′minutes
• 11Højlund

Substitutes

• 1Bayindir
• 14Eriksen
• 16Diallo
• 21Antony
• 62Forson
• 70Amass
• 75Ogunneye
• 78Jackson
• 84Wheatley

Referee:

Robert Jones

Attendance:

83,672

Live Text

1. Match ends, Coventry City 3(2), Manchester ******* 3(4).

2. Penalty Shootout ends, Coventry City 3(2), Manchester ******* 3(4).

3. Goal! Coventry City 3(2), Manchester ******* 3(4). Rasmus Højlund (Manchester *******) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.

4. Bradley Collins (Coventry City) is shown the yellow card.

5. Penalty missed. Ben Sheaf (Coventry City) right footed shot is high and wide to the left.

6. André Onana (Manchester *******) is shown the yellow card.

7. Goal! Coventry City 3(2), Manchester ******* 3(3). Bruno Fernandes (Manchester *******) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.

8. Penalty saved. Callum O’Hare (Coventry City) right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.

9. Goal! Coventry City 3(2), Manchester ******* 3(2). ********** Eriksen (Manchester *******) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.

10. Goal! Coventry City 3(2), Manchester ******* 3(1). Victor Torp (Coventry City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.

11. Goal! Coventry City 3(1), Manchester ******* 3(1). Diogo Dalot (Manchester *******) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.

12. Goal! Coventry City 3(1), Manchester ******* 3. Haji Wright (Coventry City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.

13. Penalty saved. Casemiro (Manchester *******) right footed shot saved in the centre of the goal.

14. Penalty Shootout begins Coventry City 3, Manchester ******* 3.

15. Second Half Extra Time ends, Coventry City 3, Manchester ******* 3.

16. Corner, Manchester *******. Conceded by Bobby Thomas.

17. VAR Decision: No Goal Coventry City 3-3 Manchester *******.

18. GOAL OVERTURNED BY VAR: Victor Torp (Coventry City) scores but the goal is ruled out after a VAR review.

19. Offside, Coventry City. Haji Wright is caught offside.

20. Omari Forson (Manchester *******) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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