United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Carling Cup 5th Round; attendance 57,212

You have to take those joyous moments from football when you can. Another wet night, another experimental line-up and another match that was played at a canter. It wasn't that joyous then. When the Spurs line-up was announced over the speakers it sounded like they'd come to mean business. Lots of familiar talent there.

Despite having lots of possession and being on the attack for most of the match Spurs didn't make any chances. They came up against Vidic in defence, he's such a class act at taking the ball off players. Maybe finishing 4th in the Premiership is their priority.

Darren Gibson had a long range low shot well wide early on. Obviously just getting his eye for something on target. Well he did. Two spectacular edge of the penalty area goals from his next two attempts. I was hoping for a third which would have given the big hero story for every sports page in the country.

So not a great match, but I'd be well disappointed if I was a Spurs fan going home after that. Now on to the two-legs of a semi-final. The crowd was the lowest this season, whole sections closed off as in the photo. A wet night, the game is on Tv, its only the Carling Cup, coming up the Xmastide spending - lots of regulars would have been smart enough to keep their credit card in their pocket. Wonder what drives me to keep going?

Walked to this match via the pub, the lure of Guinness on a damp evening. Then back home afterwards in a record 37 minutes.