ROBIN VAN PERSIE came on with 27 minutes remaining against West Ham and the Hammers kept him quiet for 27 minutes of normal time.
The Dutchman bided his time and struck in the first minute of injury time.
West Ham looked set to knock Manchester United out of the FA Cup at the third round stage but van Persie intervened to make it 2-2 and ensure a replay at Old Trafford.
United, trailing to a James Collins double after Tom Cleverley opened the scoring, gathered as Jussi Jaaskelainen took a goal-kick and hoped for one more chance.
The ball broke to Ryan Giggs, who looked up and spotted his fellow substitute making a break.
The Welsh midfielder lashed up a raking 60-yard pass that van Persie took on the run, cushioned with his left foot and drove home with his right. You can have a look here:
YouTube credit: HDSerieAGoals
Speaking to ITV after the game, West Ham’s Joe Cole lamented the late strike by the Red Devils.
He said, “They’re a quality side and they always have a chance to come back.
“World-class players like van Persie and Giggs combine and there you go.”
United manager Alex Ferguson told ITV that he was confident that his side could create one last chance to get back into the tie.
He said, “The manner of the goal, the first touch from Robin and his finish, was absolutely world class.”
- came across Dave Farrar’s account of the 92 tale in The Blizzard #1 few hours after above piece, recommending that magazine highly (http://www.theblizzard.co.uk/product/issue-one-digital-download/)
Every fan and witness to the 84 and 86 campaigns are left wondering and regretting what might have been. Despite the so-called “folksy, light-hearted Danish attitude” they did beat England at Wembley, Eire at Landsdown, Italy, USSR, Germany but alas never Spain. Plenty of talent, national and UEFA cup champions in the squad and the 1977 EU footballer of the year Allan Simonsen. Hard to imagine Denmark will ever produce a better forward duo than Elkjær and Laudrup.
1992 was a freak summer in a competition with only 8 teams and before no-playback-to-keeper rule was added. Brian Laudrup was in the squad btw (Michael wasn’t, apparently he watched the final on TV at Jan Mølby’s wedding…).