Manchester United 2 Liverpool 1

by Martin Samuel for "The Daily Express"

A conundrum, this. The only team that would appear to find Ole Gunnar Solskjaer resistable is his own. 

The striker who has scored more goals than he has started matches this season pulled off yet another
minor miracle at Old Trafford yesterday, with an injury time winner which dumped Manchester United's
greatest rivals out of the FA Cup and capped a fightback which saw Alex Ferguson's men turn a 1-0
defecit with two minutes remaining into a 2-1 victory by the time Graham Poll signalled the end of the
game. 

It follows the two goals he scored on his last start, against Tottenham on December 12, and comes at the
end of a week when speculation about his future led the Norwegian striker to take the rather individual
step of announcing his wish to stay at Old T rafford on his own web-site. A net-head in more ways than
one, clearly. 

Yet how long can Solskjaer remain patient when his record screams his claim to a place in the team?
Three goals in as many League Cup games, six in five Premiership starts and six sub appearances, a
goal in two sub slots in the FA Cup and another in the Champions League, with a single start and four
bit-parts from the bench. In total nine starts, 12 sub appearances, 11 goals. At any other club, Solskjaer
would have a team constructed to his requirements - at United he plays a distant third fiddle behind
Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole. And would appear happy to do so. 

Here, his appearance as a 79th minute substitute when Ferguson opted for a spectacularly gung-ho
finale, turned the game. A Liverpool side that had defended a third minute lead magnificently were
suddenly overrun by United's attacking mass, allowing Yor ke to equalise with two minutes of normal time
remaining, while Solskjaer turned the match on its head one minute and 13 seconds into injury-time. 

It was hard not to have sympathy for Liverpool, even if their midfield did invite United in late on, but harder
still to begrudge United their achievement. They have few equals in Europe in terms of character and their
determination to win the tie when the majority of teams would have been delighted with a snatched draw,
shows a courage and passion few can match. Perhaps that is why a player like Solskjaer is happy to
remain, in the knowledge a supporting role at Old Trafford offers more chance of glory than centre stage at
the majority of rivals. 

Like Liverpool, for instance, who invariably manage a run in each season to raise expectations, then just
as predictably fail to deliver at the crucial moment, which arrived here in second-half injury-time. 

Even a 1-1 draw would have been a creditable result considering Gerard Houllier's side scored early and
were therefore under huge pressure for most of the game. But, as in Vigo, when a far from disastrous 2-1
draw became a mountainous 3-1 defeat, Liverpool failed to cling on to what they had when it mattered. 

Solskjaer's winner, a low finish after fellow substitute Paul Scholes had put in valuable endeavour and then
unselfishly cleared the way to allow his team-mate's shot, was a hammer blow, and the m ajority of
Liverpool men slumped to the floor as if struck square in the midriff. 

It must have been a desperate last 60 seconds on the Old Trafford pitch for them, what with the braying
taunts of the home fans and the knowledge that, once again, their destiny was to disappoint. Yet, for long
periods, they did exactly the opposite and until reigned in by Yorke's equaliser had held their end with a
tenacity that had many talking of the new Liverpool under Houllier. 

Yet the departure of an injured Paul Ince in the 70th minute caused problems, even though the England
man had not played a startling game. Jason McAteer was his replacement but found it hard to adjust to
the high tempo and instantly some of the bite left the Mersey ranks. 

From that moment a United leveller was increasingly likely - particularly when Ferguson introduced a
parade of substitutions that ended with his team playing four strikers (Cole, Yorke, Solskjaer, Scholes)
and only three defenders (Gary Neville, Jaap Stam and Ronny Johnsen). When Yorke scored, Ferguson
was trying to persuade goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel to get forward. 

The goal was well-taken and from a familiar route. David Beckham lofted a free-kick into the box, Cole
won a header against Jamie Carragher - the first time the Liverpool man had been beaten all afternoon -
and Yorke was first to the ball to force it ov er the line. The reaction of some of the Liverpool players even
then, suggested a lack of confidence that would then be cruelly exposed. 

Perhaps, ultimately, for a side that had not beaten United in a FA Cup tie since 1921, 88 minutes plus
was just too long to hold on to a lead at Old Trafford. When Michael Owen opened the scoring for
Liverpool after just two minutes and 26 seconds, back s were always going to be to the wall if his team
were to survive. 

It was a bizarre goal, tiny Owen getting away from Henning Berg after the outstanding Robbie Fowler had
made a fine diverting run to the near post, and collecting a free header from Vegard Heggem, Schmeichel
well-beaten and only throwing a cursory hand at the ball as it found the bottom corner. 

He was sharper in the 35th minute when Jamie Redknapp won a ball off Gary Neville, finding Patrik Berger
whose powerful shot from close range was well matched by the Dane at the near post. Had that gone in,
or an effort from Fowler in the 85th minute, or had Owen not stepped on the ball when put clear one on
one after some remarkably cavalier attacking from United, it is doubtful even Solskjaer's superhuman
efforts could have saved the day. 

But the combination of a Liverpool midfield defending ever deeper late on and a United forward line
comprising the Premier League's most devastating goalscoring partnership and its most envied reserve,
contrived to maintain the balance of power along th e M62. 

No doubt the next time a United team-sheet goes up, Solskjaer will again find himself frustrated by
Ferguson. For rival Premiership bosses, it is a good job someone knows how to stop him. 

Manchester United (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Neville, Berg (Solskjaer 79), Stam, Irwin (Johnsen 79); Beckham,
Keane, Butt (Scholes 68), Giggs; Cole, Yorke. Scorers: Yorke 88, Solskjaer 90. Booked: Butt, Giggs,
Keane. 

Liverpool (3-5-2): James; Carragher, Matteo, Harkness; Heggem, Redknapp, Ince (McAteer 70), Berger,
Bjornbye; Fowler, Owen. Scorer: Owen 3. Booked: Matteo. 

Referee: G. Poll.