The Night We Beat Manchester United in Extra Time

FA Cup Quarter Final replay, 2001. Old Trafford. I've got goosebumps just typing those words. We'd drawn 0-0 at Upton Park, and nobody gave us a chance in the replay. Manchester United were the dominant force in English football - Beckham, Keane, Cole, Scholes. We had heart and not much else. Getting to Manchester was an odyssey. My mate's car broke down on the M1, we hitched a lift with a lorry driver who turned out to be a Hammers fan (what are the odds?), and we arrived at Old Trafford with minutes to spare. The atmosphere in the away end was incredible. We knew we were probably going to lose, but we were going to sing until we couldn't sing anymore. When Di Canio scored that penalty, though... the belief started growing. Then Cole equalised, and my heart sank. Extra time at Old Trafford against that United side? We were done for. Except we weren't. Paolo Di Canio, the magnificent, the mercurial, the utterly brilliant Paolo, scored again. 2-1. The celebrations in that away end... I've never experienced anything like it. The final fifteen minutes were torture. Every United attack felt like the end. Barthez making saves, defenders throwing their bodies in front of shots. When the whistle finally blew, I genuinely thought I might pass out. We'd done it. We'd beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford to reach the FA Cup semi-final. Days like that are why we do this.