The Reds progressed to the fifth round of the FA cup thanks to a dramatic winner two minutes from time over Man United. With the game getting ready to go to a replay Dirk Kuyt latched on to a Carroll flick and slammed the ball home from ten yards and secure a 2-1 win. Perhaps the balance of play was with United on the day but that doesn't bring goals and we've seen plenty of that this season so this was all the sweeter.
With so much of the pre-match talk about everyone behaving themselves you could be forgiven for missing the team sheets. On paper to me the Reds looked strong and United didn't - especially when it came to the respective benches but that counted for nothing once the match started.
The Reds won the toss and defended the Kop in the first half. After just four minutes Maxi sent in a shot which De Gea had to push away for a corner.
A couple of minutes later at the other end and Giggs forced Reina in to a save as both sides felt each other out.
The game took a while to really settle down but when it did United looked the more composed on the ball and on eighteen minutes they had the best chance of the afternoon at that point when Valencia cut inside Maxi like he wasn't there and from the edge of the box beat Reina but his shot flew out off the far post and we managed to clear the danger. It was a massive warning sign though to the Reds to wake up.
The Reds made the breakthrough on twenty one minutes through Agger. Jose Enrique had a shot on goal from twenty odd yards but it flew out off Smalling for a corner. Steven Gerrard went to take the corner and with United so intent on blocking out Carroll and Kelly in the six yard box they ignored Agger who rose superbly to head home. Since seeing it again after the match it actually hit De Gea on the way in but Agger seemed to jump about ten feet up for the header. Superb effort.
The Reds seized the initiative at this point and looked to pile on the pressure. Gerrard wasted a good chance when he shot from twenty five yards despite having options either side of him.
Despite having the lead the Reds sat on it a little and allowed United possession. That's fine in some ways whilst they are in their own half but they were probing away and the match became a little dull. The warning signs were surely flashing though for the Reds as United were in charge and just looking for that crucial opening.
That opening came on thirty nine minutes when United pushed a ball down their right for Rafael to chase but it favoured Enrique. However the Spaniard made a hash of his attempt to get the ball - electing for skill rather than just clearing the ball. Rafael charged past him and then sent a ball back in to the area from the bye line and Park came storming in to slam the ball past Reina before he could get down to it.
As half time came it was all square an probably that was fair although United had been slightly the better side perhaps without the chances - not that we were putting a potentially dodgy keeper under much strain.
At half time we all talked about needing a change to spark us up a bit and there were a few suggestions coming of who to change around.
The second half started though with no changes so it was the Reds attacking the Kop.
The half wasn't a great one I have to admit but it did finally contain a winner for the Reds so it was good enough for me. United continued to have a lot of the football without putting us under intense pressure - well Reina had virtually nothing to do in fact - thanks mainly to a combination of Agger, Skrtel and Kelly who were all playing superbly well.
On fifty five minutes Downing intercepted a poor pass out from De Gea but he couldn't pick out a Reds short with his cross as the keeper scrambled back to his goal. A minute later and the Reds were asking for a penalty as Smalling appeared to handle it and then again on a Carroll shot but the ref was having none of it.
There was massive danger for the Reds on fifty eight minutes as Welbeck got on to a through ball and managed to get it past Reina who rushed out of his area but Skrtel managed to get beyond Reina and hack the ball clear.
The Reds made the first changes on sixty three minutes with Carragher and Maxi going off to be replaced by Kuyt and Adam respectively. Maxi was subbed just after he'd put in a strong two footed challenge and the subs coming possibly just about saved him as I think it distracted the ref. He could easily have seen a card for the tackle.
The changes gave the Reds some impetus and we started to move forward a bit more effectively. Rafael became the first and only yellow card of the day when he took out Downing with a body check near the United box and he really had nothing to complain about.
Steven Gerrard curled the free kick in and on target but it lacked pace and it allowed De Gea to get over and save comfortably.
The Reds made their third change on seventy two minutes when Craig Bellamy was sent on in place of Steven Gerrard who had looked like he was struggling with the pace at times in the game. Bellamy had been warming up for a while on the touchline - at one point with elastic around his ankles to help stretching. With Gerrard off as well as Carragher the armband was sent back to Reina in the Reds goal.
Both sides were still probing for a winner without overly committing. United made a change on seventy six minutes when Hernandez replaced Scholes.
The changes that the Reds had made had had a really positive effect on us and we were pressing forward the most I thought at this point. Andy Carroll who had worked really hard all game suddenly had some support around him and he came far more in to the game.
With two minutes to go the winner came and what a goal it was as well. Reina played along goal kick forward and Carroll flicked on. All game until that point had been flick ons to no-one but with Kuyt on he gambled on the flick and left Evra behind before shooting past De Gea in tot he Kop goal. The celebrations were superb and three United fans who had come in the home area made a quick run for it.
A minutes after the goal and we so nearly made it three one as a cross to the back post found Carroll and with De Gea flapping the Geordie hit the upright and then Kuyt poked the rebound just the wrong side of the post. That would have saved a potentially trick injury time and give the las next to me some money - Agger and 3-1 was his bit and it was oh so close.
Four minutes were added to the game but in truth we were never under much pressure because for a large chunk of it we had the ball down by the corner flag and won a series of throw ins. Soon after the final whistle went and were dancing through to the fifth round of the FA Cup. In the space of a few days that's the whole of Manchester knocked out of the cups at Anfield.
MotM : Martin Skrtel - played superbly at the back all day and his clearance from when Welbeck rounded Reina tipped it for me over Agger who had bagged the first goal. Martin Kelly also played superbly well at the back as well and Park changed sides altogether as a result of his play.
