“This is how it feels to be Citeh…this is how it feels when you’ve won nothing at all!”
So here we were, prepared for yet another ordeal of doing it the United way – or so we assumed. The Richest Club in the World faced The Biggest Club in the World at Eastlands. Citeh fighting for the last Champions League spot and United fighting for the title – it was always going to be a costly affair for the losing team. With Citeh coming into the game on the back of two thumping wins and United with an unfit Rooney and dismissal form, United had no chance to get away with all 3 points - or so they assumed.
United were up for it right from the off. One could see that United wanted it more than their Noisy Neighbours. Citeh were contended with defending in numbers and trying the odd counter-attack. Half-time dawned and passed, United still couldn’t break the deadlock. Berbatov came close with a header but couldn’t direct it home. Scholes had an absolute belter of a game: Hard, legit tackles and that pin-point passing was there for all to see.
As the clock ticked down, it looked as if Citeh had snatched a point afterall. Even United looked to settle for a draw. With seconds to go, United attacked one last time. I never really expected what followed. I don’t think anyone did. Evra clipped in a neat little cross in the Citeh box that evaded all the Citeh defenders. And who comes out of the box to head home? Sir Paul Scholes of Salford. Just as he had done countless times before over the years, Scholesy had his trademark little late run inside the box and delivered an inch-perfect header that no goalkeeper could’ve saved. The Ginger Ninja had done it, against Manchester City, in the last minute. He wheeled away, jumped up and down like a teenager and went to the fans to celebrate. It was so fitting that he scored the winner – that lad from Salford. For that Old Guard and for the United fans, it’s never over till it’s over.
And once again, Manchester was RED. But also on that day, Manchester was Ginger.
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