Monday 16 February 1998
Issue 997

Barnsley Pics Download United Program/Patch files

          Man Utd (1) 1 Barnsley (1) 1
          
          AT the scene of their most devastating humiliation among
          the English elite, Barnsley yesterday showed real character and
          commitment to record their most eminent result. Memories of
          their 7-0 Premiership submission in October were forgotten as
          Danny Wilson's men, playing with shape and determination, came
          desperately close to embarrassing Manchester United, who have
          not lost a home FA Cup tie in nine years.
          
          This FA Cup fifth-round tie may have been drawn, so
          necessitating a replay on Feb 25 to decide who travels to
          Newcastle United, but some honours are more even than others.
          Barnsley did not just secure a replay yesterday; they will draw
          confidence from their ability to stand toe-to-toe with English
          football's most famous force.
          
          If it felt like victory for Barnsley, whose magnificent
          supporters noisily echoed the club's spirit of defiance, it
          will have seemed like defeat to United. Replays are anathema to
          United in this season of gathering intensity. What makes
          yesterday's stuttering draw even more embarrassing is that the
          replay triggers the postponement of the Munich testimonial game
          featuring an Eric Cantona XI, scheduled for the night before.
          
          "I'm very proud of them," Wilson said. "They showed a lot of
          pride in the shirts." Barnsley could even have won if Mike
          Riley, the Leeds official, had looked less generously on Gary
          Neville's late foul on Andy Liddell. "It was a blatant
          penalty," Wilson said. "Whether you get that bit of luck here,
          I don't know. The decision by the referee was wrong and it cost
          us."
          
          It was a game of errors, none bigger than Peter Schmeichel's
          attempted fly-kick that gifted John Hendrie a 38th-minute goal.
          As mistakes go, Schmeichel's was as big as a manor house. David
          Watson's long kick was meat and drink for Gary Pallister, who
          sold Hendrie a leisurely dummy before slipping the ball back to
          his goalkeeper.
          
          Schmeichel cannot have endured many worse moments than this. He
          kept his eye on the ball as it rose towards him, clearly having
          elected to play it first time. Catastrophe struck, Schmeichel
          mis-hitting the ball which looped across the penalty area.
          
          Hendrie, meanwhile, had continued his run, showing the
          willingness to pressurise that characterised all Wilson's
          players. As the Barnsley supporters leapt from their seats,
          Hendrie guided a crisp left-footed shot into an empty net.
          
          A hush descended on most parts of Old Trafford, bar the
          Scoreboard End, awash with jubilant Barnsley fans, some
          stripped to the waist. But Hendrie's goal was no rare bark of
          the underdog. Barnsley had been so determined, so committed in
          their harrying of a lacklustre United that such reward was
          deserved.
          
          In explaining their initial disjointedness, their lack of
          cohesion and creativity, United could point to a host of absent
          friends, such as the suspended Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes or
          the injured Andy Cole and Roy Keane, whose uplifting presence
          would surely have lifted them from this torpor. With two
          England internationals, Gary Neville and David Beckham, deemed
          fit enough for the bench, it seemed that Ferguson's rotation
          policy in domestic cup competitions was also to blame for his
          team's labouring.
          
          Barnsley, too, were missing familiar faces, the cup-tied Jan
          Aage Fjortoft and the suspended Darren Barnard and Darren
          Sheridan. They also lost Arjan De Zeeuw to injury after 25
          minutes and were without Ashley Ward, momentarily removed from
          the fray, when United enjoyed one of their brief first-half
          flurries. Just before the half-hour Brian McClair, brilliantly
          set up by Giggs, found only the post where once he would
          scored.
          
          The miss appeared even worse when Schmeichel presented Hendrie
          with his goal. Yet the game's error-strewn nature indicated
          chances would soon fall United's way. Jovo Bosancic's dreadful
          back-pass was seized on by Giggs, who was denied only by the
          quick-reacting Watson.
          
          Perhaps fearful of the half-time talk awaiting them, United
          equalised in thrilling fashion. Giggs, out on the left but
          increasingly drifting in, chested the ball down and rolled it
          back to Sheringham, who touched it forward twice before placing
          it expertly past Watson.
          
          United still needed inspiration. Ferguson turned to the bench.
          Beckham's influence was immediately seen, the ball touched
          elegantly inside to Michael Clegg, whose lifted cross was met
          well by Giggs but not with sufficient placement to trouble
          Watson unduly.
          
          Barnsley's own danger was limited to the counter-attack.
          Hendrie, his legs slowing but the mind still quick, scared
          United just after the hour, breaking through but shooting
          off-target under pressure from Sheringham.
          
          United were disappointing. Clegg, a neat full-back, was adding
          to his reputation but more famous feet seemed to be running
          across quicksand. Pallister, pushed forward, at least gave
          United a real target in a frantic finale. Pallister and Giggs
          went close and Watson saved superbly from Giggs and Jordi
          Cruyff. Yet still Barnsley will have felt they could have
          caused a sensational upset when Gary Neville fouled Liddell.
          __________________________________________________________
          
          Man Utd (1) 1 Barnsley (1) 1
          Sheringham 42; Hendrie 39.

          Man Utd: Schmeichel, Clegg, Irwin, Johnsen (Beckham 46),
          Pallister, Sheringham, Giggs, P. Neville, McClair (G. Neville
          78), Berg, Nevland (Cruyff 57). Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw,
          Casper.

          Barnsley: Watson, Eaden, Moses, De Zeeuw (Appleby 25), Hendrie
          (Liddell 80), Redfearn, Bullock, Bosancic, Krizan, Ward,
          Morgan. Subs Not Used: Marcelle, Leese, Tinkler. Booked: Ward,
          Bosancic.

          Att: 54,700
          Ref: M A Riley (Leeds).
          __________________________________________________________
                                      
FERGUSON FURY AT GRAY

   Alex Ferguson blasted Andy Gray after the Sky TV pundit entered the
   penalty debate in the wake of Manchester United's 1-1 FA Cup fifth
   round draw with Barnsley.
   
   Ferguson admitted that referee Mike Riley should have given Barnsley a
   penalty when Andy Liddell went down under Gary Neville's challenge
   with the tie heading towards a replay at Old Trafford.
   
   But the United boss was incensed by Gray's claim that a similar
   challenge on a United player at the opposite end would have produced a
   penalty.
   
   "They should have had a penalty kick," admitted Ferguson. "I don't
   think there was any question about that. There was bad refereeing
   there.
   
   "But I'd just like to take Andy Gray up on his point that had it taken
   place at the other end, it would have been given.
   
   "That's absolutely crap. I've never heard such nonsense. We've had 11
   penalties here in nine years. I don't know how he can make a comment
   like that.
   
   "He's not biased against Man United, of course," added Ferguson
   sarcastically.
   
   Gray defended his comments and claimed that he had received a lot of
   mail from viewers who felt he was biased in favour of the champions.
   
   "Alex should actually see my mail that arrives at Sky from others
   around the country who think I'm so biased towards Manchester United
   that I shouldn't be doing the job," said Gray.
   
   "I can see what Alex is saying, but it was my opinion, and he might
   not agree, but it won't be the first time Alex and I haven't agreed,"
   added Gray.
   
   John Hendrie capitalised on a Peter Schmeichel blunder to fire
   Barnsley ahead after 37 minutes but Teddy Sheringham equalised four
   minutes later and United could not make their second-half dominance
   tell.
   
   Barnsley keeper David Watson hailed the fighting spirit of his team
   and agreed the Yorkshire outfit could have shocked United had they not
   been denied a penalty.
   
   "The lads are saying it was a definitely penalty. But we're not going
   to argue over things like that. We've gotten a 1-1 draw and we're
   delighted with that.
   
   "It's a brilliant result. We thought we had a chance with them
   struggling lately, and we came here with a lot of confidence.
   
   "We've been working hard for two or three months, now, grinding out
   results. Today's the culmination of all that hard work over the last
   three months."
   
   Ferguson praised Barnsley, beaten 7-0 at Old Trafford in the
   Premiership in October, for battling hard and helping erase the
   painful memory of that defeat.
   
   "At the end of the day, Barnsley fought hard for their point," he
   said.
   
   © PA Sporting Life
          __________________________________________________________

   February 16 1998 FOOTBALL

   Ferguson anxious about growing fixture congestion after draw at Old
   Trafford
   
   Barnsley fail to read the script for action replay
   
   MANCHESTER UNITED 1 BARNSLEY 1 
   By Oliver Holt Football Correspondent
   
   BEHIND the goal, the Barnsley supporters raised their arms to the
   skies and burst into a lusty chorus. They sang redemption songs: songs
   of pride restored and of ridicule banished. Humbled 7-0 at Old
   Trafford last October, they went some way to wiping the slate clean
   yesterday and showed that there is still romance left in the FA Cup,
   even without the minnows.
   
   In many ways, it was a terrible revenge over a depleted United side.
   The advent of a replay at Oakwell a week on Wednesday raised the
   dreaded spectre of fixture congestion for Alex Ferguson, the one thing
   above all others that the United manager had wanted to avoid. He had
   said he would throw Schmeichel, the United goalkeeper, into attack for
   the last ten minutes if a draw loomed. He tried Pallister instead, but
   it did not work.
   
   In the end, it was Barnsley who nearly profited from an attitude that
   Ferguson admitted was "gung-ho, do-or-die", when Gary Neville scythed
   down Liddell in the box in the dying minutes. Even Ferguson conceded
   that it should have been a penalty, but the referee, Mike Riley, chose
   not to give it. United now have to play four games in the next 12
   days, the sort of schedule that could compromise their pursuit of the
   European Cup.
   
   If some of the gloss of Barnsley's achievement was taken off by
   Ferguson's ambiguous attitude to the competition and the fact that he
   had been forced to field a side shorn - either through injury or
   suspension - of six regular first-team players, it was still a
   glorious result for a team that had been portrayed once more as lambs
   to the slaughter.
   
   A bizarre mistake by Schmeichel had allowed Hendrie to give Barnsley
   the lead seven minutes before half-time, but United equalised four
   minutes later through Sheringham. Each side had numerous chances to
   seal victory, but neither could manage it.
   
   United had begun with only five of the players that had trounced
   Barnsley here last October. Butt, Scholes, Cole, Solskjaer, Beckham
   and Gary Neville were all missing from the starting line-up, and the
   team included unfamiliar names such as Eric Nevland, the Norwegian
   bought from Viking Stavanger for £1 million in the summer.
   
   With Philip Neville on the right side of midfield and McClair having a
   rare outing in the centre, United began tentatively. Neville had to
   head out from under his own crossbar after a run and cross by Hendrie,
   then Schmeichel had to sprint out of his area to head the ball clear
   as Hendrie ran on to a through ball unchallenged.
   
   The champions began to establish themselves as Johnsen dominated
   midfield and Giggs, playing just behind Sheringham and Nevland, wove
   some familiar magic. It was a sublime header by the young winger,
   changing the direction of the ball and wrong-footing the entire
   Barnsley defence, that provided United with a gilt-edged chance midway
   through the half. McClair, though, could only crash his left-foot shot
   against a post.
   
   Then, seven minutes before half-time and against the run of play,
   Barnsley scored a freak goal that is destined for many reruns on
   football blooper videos. Pallister played a gentle back-pass to
   Schmeichel, but he kicked at it wildly and succeeded not only in
   slicing the ball across the area, but in throwing himself off balance
   and on to his back, too. Hendrie began the pursuit as Schmeichel leapt
   to his feet and, after what seemed an age, the Barnsley forward got to
   it first and slid it left-footed into an empty net.
   
   It was a short-lived advantage. Barnsley had not regained their
   composure when, three minutes before the interval, United equalised.
   Giggs took a long ball on his chest and tricked the Barnsley defence
   with a backheel that allowed Sheringham to advance on Watson and slide
   the ball past him.
   
   Before the second half was five minutes old, United had forged another
   chance, this time from the unlikely source of Pallister. He was
   allowed to burst up the field by a retreating Barnsley and played the
   ball to Giggs. Giggs opened up the defence with a sublime flick back
   to Pallister, but he crossed behind the onrushing Sheringham and the
   moment was lost.
   
   After a short hiatus, United nearly went ahead when Beckham lobbed a
   pass into the box for Clegg but the young full back headed wide.
   Barnsley missed an even better chance 12 minutes from time when
   Bullock laid a pass to Hendrie in the box. Hendrie, exhausted now,
   could only blaze his shot high over the bar.
   
   A frantic final ten minutes saw Barnsley denied that penalty and Moses
   make a last-ditch challenge to deny Giggs. In the last minute, Watson
   saved a low shot from Cruyff to ensure the replay and the 8,000
   Barnsley fans behind the goal exulted in the joy of honour regained.
   
   MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): P Schmeichel - M Clegg, H Berg, G
   Pallister, D Irwin - P Neville, R Johnsen (sub: D Beckham, 46min), B
   McClair (sub: G Neville, 79), R Giggs - E Sheringham, E Nevland (sub:
   J Cruyff, 58).
   
   BARNSLEY (3-5-2): D Watson - A Moses, A de Zeeuw, C Morgan - N Eaden,
   J Bosancic, N Redfearn, M Bullock, A Krizan - J Hendrie (sub: A
   Liddell, 81), A Ward.
   
   Referee: M Riley.

   Copyright 1998 Times Newspapers Limited. 
   ______________________________________________________________________

   February 16 1998 FOOTBALL

   FA Cup
   
   Barnsley block the route to Newcastle
   BY OLIVER HOLT, FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT
   
   AFTER the heroics of Stevenage Borough in the last round of the FA
   Cup, Barnsley, the team rooted to the foot of the FA Carling
   Premiership, carried the banner for romantics everywhere yesterday
   when they held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. It
   ensured that they remained in the draw for the sixth round, where they
   face the prospect of a trip to face Newcastle United.
   
   The performance of Danny Wilson's team, and the unexpected advent of a
   replay at Oakwell in ten days' time, overshadowed the Cup draw and the
   assumption that it had provided football with a battle of the giants
   in the pairing of Newcastle and United. It also forced the
   postponement of the testimonial game that United had been planning to
   raise money for the families of victims of the Munich air crash. Eric
   Cantona will have to wait a little longer for his triumphant return to
   Manchester.
   
   The prospect of a clash between Newcastle and United, though, is still
   something to whet the appetite: another showdown between Alex Ferguson
   and Kenny Dalglish; a reprise of the fine league match at St James'
   Park earlier in the season, when a wonderful header from Andy Cole
   decided a passionate match.
   
   Terry McDermott, the Newcastle assistant manager, said: "It's going to
   be tough whoever we meet. Manchester United are the best team in the
   country at the moment and Barnsley are really battling. There are
   easier ties. But we'll be playing at St James' Park and we have to be
   delighted with that."
   
   If Barnsley, who profited from a dreadful error from Peter Schmeichel,
   the United goalkeeper, yesterday, emerge as the victors, the tie of
   the next round could be between Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers, if they
   manage to negotiate Crystal Palace and West Ham United respectively.
   
   Arsenal stumbled to a goalless draw with Palace at Highbury yesterday,
   and Arsène Wenger, their manager, did not seek solace in the prospect
   of a home tie in the next round. "We did not beat Port Vale at
   Highbury and now we have not beaten Palace," he said. "Why should we
   beat West Ham or Blackburn?"
   
   The big winners in the draw were Coventry City, who were paired at
   home to Sheffield United in the only clear tie of the round. Leeds
   United, too, will be happy with their fate after the draw raised the
   possibility that they will face a Nationwide League first division
   team at Elland Road for the fourth time in succession. If
   Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Wimbledon in their replay at Molineux,
   they will be the visitors to Yorkshire.
   
   All eyes, though, will be on the outcome of the Barnsley v Manchester
   United replay, if only because of its timing - three days before
   United's morning kick-off against Chelsea in the Premiership and a
   week before the first leg of their Champions' League quarter-final
   against AS Monaco. Barnsley must have more than an even chance.
   
   "We will only have one replay in the Cup this season, son," Ferguson
   said after the game yesterday, "and that will be the last one. I'm
   looking forward to the replay at Oakwell. I have never taken a team
   there and I suppose it will be one of those cold, Yorkshire nights.
   
   "The FA Cup is good for us. It gives you a different kind of
   excitement and it helps young players like Michael Clegg. He has come
   on a bundle, that boy, and it will be a great tie up there. It was a
   penalty kick at the end for them, but there is a general reluctance
   among referees now to give them and Barnsley suffered because of
   that."
   
   Wilson, predictably, was delighted with his team's performance at the
   scene of their humbling earlier in the season and was relishing
   United's first visit to Oakwell for 34 years. "Of course, we are
   delighted about the result," he said. "We thought we had a clear
   penalty, but maybe the luck evened itself out because a mistake by
   Peter Schmeichel is a rarity in itself.
   
   "Our players were very determined today. They wanted to show that the
   7-0 result last year was not really a true reflection of our club.
   They put that right and this result will lift everybody and give us
   confidence for the fight in the league."
   
   Copyright 1998 Times Newspapers Limited. 

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