retired_sragin40

You Can do IT!

shannon2007

The First Half

Once again we looked to get an early goal in a European match as we seemed to have a habit of doing this season, and with just six minutes gone, Mitchell forced Man U keeper Morris into the save. The English side seemed shocked by the audicity of a team they probably believed they should be steamrollering, as we pressed them back in the opening stages. Scott Craig had the ball on the left, and with no where to go, played it back to Ross Kelly, who found MacDonald with a fine little chip. Craig had run into a decent position, and with nine minutes on the clock, hit a superb shot to send us into the lead we so desperately wanted.

United were stunned, but there was surely no need for what happened on 12 minutes, as Van Nistelrooy went down from an innoccous challenge from Barker, and the referee incredibly decided to send the young defender off. It was a disgraceful incident, and left me raging as you would expect. It seemed the great Manchester United were having to stoop to cheating to try and beat the mighty Forfar. Pathetic.

Scott Gibson had to be replaced by Hamilton as we hoped to simply hold our shape at the back,and somehow get through this match. Yet even with ten men we were still dominating, and on 18 minutes, we won a corner on the right, which was sent over by Adams. As Craig Campbell lined up to shoot, he was shoved to the ground by Van Nistelrooy, and the referee had no choice but to give us a penalty. Yet he chose not to even book the Dutch cheat.

Scott Craig, just 17 years old, stepped up cooly, and slotted the ball home , and we were leading two nil with ten men against Manchester United. Despite the cheating from the English side, we couldn't have asked for a better start, and all we had to do now was hold on, and the Champions League would surely be ours.....

shannon2007

First Half - Second Half

Yet no sooner had we added the second, than United were back in the game. A poor pass from Hamilton put the defence in trouble, and Cristiano Ronaldo took full advantage to set up Mutu with a far too easy goal. We had given the English side a sniff, and we might yet live to regret that.

United were starting to get on top now, as we desperately tried to get to half time with our lead intact. Yet despite their pressure, some tough defending, and some good keeping from Williamson kept them at bay, and we were only 45 minutes away from being crowned Champions of Europe. We still of course had a lot of work to do, but now we could re group and plan how we were going to hold onto this incredible lead.

The second half followed much the same pattern, as you would expect with United having the extra man. We did create some chances of our own, but as the half wore on it was the team in red who were gaining the upper hand. With eighteen minutes left, rookie Stuart Murphy, who has been fairly impressive in the chances he's had, came on to replace the tiring Scott Craig.

Ten minutes from time, United had a great chance from a free kick, but Mutu's effort was just over, and suddenly, as their chances were draining away, so we found ourselves with more space. With eight minutes to go, Stuarty Murphy came so close to wrapping the match up, and as the ball ricochted around the area, McMillan saw an effort come back off the post.

As time ran out, both Mutu and Kleberson had shots saved by Williamson. We were literally only seconds away from winning the Champions League, and as we entered the last three minutes of time added on, the impossible dream was about to be realized......

shannon2007

The Conclusion

As the match moved into time added on, so the contingent of Forfar fans bayed for the referee to bring it to an end, whilst the United support prayed that he would forget the time and keep playing for as long as it took. The nerves were frayed long ago in this absorbing match, and people who bit their nails had no fingers left, as the seconds ticked away. United won a corner, their last desperate chance to snatch a goal and drive the match into extra time, but we survived it, just, and then tried to come forward ourselves.

Just over a minute into injury time, and Stuart Murphy had an excellent chance for a third, but Morris pulled of a great save. Morris released the ball to Kewell who sent Browm free on the right, and his rather inoccous shot somehow beat Williamson at his left hand side, and with 92 minutes and 14 seconds gone, Manchester United were level, and we had been delivered a cruel and shattering blow.

Time ran out, and as the normal period ended, so we were into an extra thirty minutes. It was a devasted set of Forfar players who somehow had to find a way to overcome such awful dissapointment, and find the strength to not only play an extra 30 moinutes, but to re-win the title we fuilly believed we had in our hands.

The first fifteen was all United, Kleberson the main threat as he saw an effort just go over the bar, and then in the dying seconds, Williamson made a fine save to deny him. We had fifteen minutes left now, and our only chance really was to hold out for penalties. Surely lightening couldn't strike twice and this year would be ours. A minute into the second period, Wes Brown sent former Rangers player Chris Burke down the right, and he set Mutu up with a decent chance. A combination of good defending and good save though kept him at bay.

Craig Campbell tried to bring the ball forward, but his pass was full of tiredness and fell to Gary Neville who found Porter, forward to Butt and then on to Bellion as United tried desperately to avoid a penalty shoot our. Bellion skimmed Hamilton to have a clear run on goal, and despite the defence backtracking desperately, and the efforts of Williamson in goal, Bellion slotted the ball home, and Manchester United were in the lead.

There was still time for us to come back, to salvage something from a game that if the fates had been kind, we would surely have won. But having played so long with only ten men, having had the cup in our grasp, and having it so cruelly snatched away, there was nothing left, and as the match fizzled out, there was no consolation for a side who had given everything they had, and in the end, it simply hadn't been good enough. We had been within 20 seconds of lifting the Champions League, and you have to wonder if we can ever rise to that level again. Its going to be a long cold summer in Forfar.....

retired_marcias

Are your achievements being recognised by the bookies yet or do they still have you as rank outsiders for the Champions League each season?

retired_michman524

Unlucky. Maybe next year

shannon2007

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by glamdring:


Are your achievements being recognised by the bookies yet or do they still have you as rank outsiders for the Champions League each season?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We were rank outsiders yeah, not got the odds yet for the new season. We're odds on to win the SPL though, hmmm.

retired_marcias

At least that's something - Celtic have been Evens favourites for the SPL every season in my game despite them not having won it for 4 years!

retired_embartl

oh bloody buggering hell

retired_bbcarr

*echoes everyones elses sentiments*

i'm sure your boys will bounce back and be all the stronger for it next time :thup:

(haven't i said this before? )