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Red card for Kompany opens way to Man Utd 3-2 victory
Disbelieving Roberto Mancini swallows his fury at referee to avoid a touchline ban
THE BATTLE of Manchester went the way of United with City beaten 3-2 in an FA Cup third round tie packed with incident. The atmosphere inside the Etihad Stadium was electric before a ball had even been kicked after it was revealed former United playmaker Paul Scholes was on the bench having been persuaded by Alex Ferguson to come out of retirement.
If that was a shock it was nothing compared to what happened on 12 minutes when referee Chris Foy gave Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany a straight red card for a challenge on Nani. Kompany's tackle was robust but not malicious, the big Belgian winning the ball with Nani taking no offence at the challenge. Nonetheless Foy, with Wayne Rooney loudly protesting about the tackle, brandished the red and a stunned Kompany trudged off the pitch.
Roberto Mancini watched from the touchline in disbelief as his captain departed and the City boss was still visibly upset after the match. "I am sure that we will appeal," he fumed. "If you can explain to me why he showed a red card..." Mindful not to say anything that might result in a touchline ban from the Football Association, Mancini then angrily brushed away further questions, saying: "I don't want to talk about the referee because I want to stay on the bench for the next game."
Just a minute before Kompany's red card, United had taken the lead thanks to a brilliant header from Rooney and Mancini's mood darkened the longer the first half went on. Danny Welbeck increased the visitors' lead on 30 minutes with a stunning volley and five minutes before the interval Rooney added a third from the penalty spot after Welbeck had been felled by Aleksandar Kolarov. The England striker's initial spot kick was well saved by Costel Pantilimon, but Rooney was first to the rebound and coolly headed the ball past the City keeper's desperate lunge.
Yet despite United's seemingly unassailable position at the break, City were the dominant side in the second half. A superb Kolarov free kick on 48 minutes pulled one back for the Citizens and then Sergio Aguero added a second on 65 minutes. That goal was a direct result of an error by Scholes, on the field for just five minutes and United fans were forced to endure a fraught final 25 minutes praying their manager hadn't made a terrible mistake in introducing the 37-year-old eight months after his retirement.
United held on for the win though Ferguson was critical of the way his side had allowed City back into the game. "It was a careless performance in the second half," said the United manager. "We should have been home and dry. We were too careless in the second half and, if we keep doing that, we're going to make mistakes."
Asked about the red card, Ferguson showed little sympathy for Kompany saying: "It was a two-footed tackle... I think it was a red card, absolutely. I've seen him do it before."
United's reward for defeating their neighbours is a fourth round tie at Anfield on the weekend of January 28/29. Manchester City away, then Liverpool away... if United do go on to win the Cup, they will have done it the hard way.
