FAN'S EYE VIEW: We left Wembley beaten but unbowed
by MIKE McKINLEY No repeat of last year s happy ending in the Carling Cup final then, though whether it was the comfort of last year s memories or the low expectations going in, this was a relatively painless cup final defeat for me. Certainly compared to 1987 or 2002,
No repeat of last year's happy ending in the Carling Cup final then, though whether it was the comfort of last year's memories or the low expectations going in, this was a relatively painless cup final defeat for me.
Certainly compared to 1987 or 2002, which were both very hard to take, this time around the spirits of the Spurs fans exiting down Wembley Way didn't seem too down - beaten but unbowed.
The performance was one from which everybody could take great pride.
A late injury to Jonathan Woodgate gave Michael Dawson his place, and he performed heroically, as did the whole back five, barely allowing Manchester United's front line a sniff of goal.
At the other end the match mirrored our season - not enough cutting edge to see us home. Even then we created enough to earn their goalkeeper the man of the match award, a regular feature of our cup finals.
At the end of 120 minutes they might have just presented the cup to United and spared us the shootout, as that result was never in doubt. And from the moment Ryan Giggs hit the inside of a post and the ball didn't come back out even the most optimistic knew.
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But we don't get the chance to dwell on it, and despite the weary legs and crushed hopes we've got to hope for the opposite reaction to last year's final, and that the team can be galvanised into a strong run-in.
With things so tight at the bottom, a few results either way will lift us clear or suck us in. So we must build on the good things at Wembley and make sure it won't become the second worst thing to happen this year.
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