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FA Carling Premiership
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7th November
1993 Maine Road, Manchester
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Manchester
City
2
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Manchester United
3
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Quinn 22, 32
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Cantona 52, 78, Keane 87
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"The best Derby of the
90's"
United and City put on the most
exciting derby match for many a year with City playing their part to the
full in a first period when they were a yard quicker to the ball and had
their fans in jubilent mood. That mood had begun prior to the match when
local shops sold out of bars of turkish delight which the fans threw to
the United players as they came out to remind them. Should they need reminding
of the dismal trip to Istanbul four days earlier - United had been
knocked out of the European Cup by Turkish team Galatasaray on away goals and violent post match scenes which saw Cantona sent off, dominated the headlines.
City hit the reds with a right and left comb to take a 2-0 interval lead. The
first goal was a simple affair as Irwin made a mistake on the edge
of City's area. Sheron sped some 60 yards down the right to the other end
where he floated the ball over for Niall Quinn to place a header past Schmeichel
who thought the ball was going wide. Just after the half hour City were
two up as Steve McMahon's cross, this time from the left, was headed home
by Quinn again. Minutes later Schmeichel was forced to dramatically save
from David White who seemed certain to score.
The second half, however was a different story as the Reds upped their
game. Despite United's superiority in the second period, it still needed
a slice of luck to get back in the game. Michel Vonk made a dreadful hash
of a header back to Coton and found the one man you don't want it to.....Eric
Cantona. The City keeper did everything he could but the King of Old Trafford
made the finish look a great deal simpler than it was.
Then with less than
15 minutes remaining, Alex Ferguson made the move United fans had been waiting
for when he introduced Ryan Giggs to the fray. Incredibly, within seconds
and with his first touch, Giggs sent a first time ball, weighted to perfection
across the City goalmouth. It eluded City's defenders but found Cantona on the edge of the six yard box to eagerly tap the equaliser past Coton. Cantona
earlier in the move had set it up with some elaborately deft flicks. It
was a night when the great man was at his most creative.
Three minutes from time, Lee Sharpe set free Irwin and it appeared that
City had escaped as Hughes couldn't make contact as the ball flew across
the face of the goal, the net yawning. However, City's hopes were dashed
as roaring in behind Hughes was Roy Keane to slam the ball into the back
of the net about an inch inside the post. Minutes later the whistle blew
and City fans couldn't believe what had happened, United had took them
apart in 45 minutes and proved there is only one team in Manchester, yet
again.
MANCHESTER CITY: Coton,
Edgehill, McMahon, Curle, Phelan, Kernaghan, Vonk, White, Sheron,
Flitcroft, Quinn
MANCHESTER UNITED: Schmeichel,
Parker, Irwin, Pallister, Bruce, Sharpe, Ince, Keane, Hughes, Cantona,
Kanchelskis (Giggs)
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