FA Cup Semi Final - Manchester United 0 Manchester City 1

Published: 18 April 2011
by PAUL COWLING

FA CUP SEMI FINAL AT WEMBLEY STADIUM
MANCHESTER UNITED 0 MANCHESTER CITY 1
Attendance: 86,549

IN Response to the shake-up at the top of the Premier League, Sir Alex Ferguson has referred to Sheikh-moneyed Manchester City as those "noisy neighbours". On Saturday, all the noise was coming from the blue half of Mancunia, as a 53rd minute goal from Yaya Toure shot City into their first FA Cup Final for 30 years.

A pulsating and packed Wembley, saw United take charge, after a turgid first ten minutes, of sparing and dull “Serie-A-ness”.
Dimitar Berbatov was put through on 14 minutes, and looked set to score, but his jab was neatly palmed away by City keeper Joe Hart. Within seconds, Nani's whipped-in cross had City left back Kolorav frantically clearing for a corner before Berbatov could apply the finishing touch. From that moment Berbatov went into a shell, and City came out of their's, with Adam Johnson and David Silva coming into their own.

The colossus Yaya Toure, showing a taste of what was to come, rampaged forward with a menacing shot on goal, while a powerful shot from Mario Balotelli was smartly tipped over by United keeper Edwin Van der Sar on 34 minutes.

City had taken the initiative, and a goal from them looked on the cards. It came early in the second half, following a poor clearance from Van der Sar; the ball bobbled off Silva, Michael Carrick picked it up, but his poor cross-field pass was intercepted by Toure, who charged into the box. The Ivorian evaded the challenge of Nemanja Vidic and calmy placed the ball between the legs of the crestfallen United keeper -  cue electrically charged bedlam in the massed City ranks: this had been the moment they and their team had been waiting for.

With a vital lead, and in complete control, City's players were not going to let this opportunity pass them by; to a man they were commitment personified. Gareth Barry had a storming game – for once – and even Mario Balotelli, back-tracked to help his side when United came in search of an equaliser. A powerful, 65th minute Nani free kick was the best United could do, though the shot was crucially tipped onto the bar by Hart.

United were clearly missing the suspended Wayne Rooney, and their afternoon got worse on 72 minutes, when Paul Scholes was sent off for a needless karate-style kick on City right back Pablo Zabaleta'. 

With the final whistle approaching, the City fans' shrills for referee Mike Dean to blow for time got to an ear-piercing level. Thirty and more years of frustration could be seen in the faces of forty and fifty year olds who remember the club's last trophy win in 1976.

And then it was all over. Manchester City and their fans were in the FA Cup Final. The noisy neighbours would be up all night and in party-mode. Now only Stoke City stand between them and silverware. So long in the shadow of United, now is the chance to force United to take down that time-lapse flag in the Stretford End. Fully aware of the banner that mocks City's long wait for a trophy, City boss Roberto Mancini said he hoped “we can take it off this year.”