Tim Howard emerged an FA Cup spot-kick hero to wreck his old club's
quintuple bid and send Everton to their first final since 1995.
After a goalless and frankly rather tepid two hours, Howard saved a
woeful penalty from Manchester United record signing Dimitar Berbatov
and another from Rio Ferdinand to send the Toffees into ecstasy.
It also ended Sir Alex Ferguson's 100 per cent record in last four
clashes, although the Scot must have known such a scenario was a
realistic possibility given the team he picked.
It had become common knowledge that Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney
and Edwin van der Sar had not even made the trip, while Ryan Giggs was
down on most people's lists of the men to be excluded as well.
Nevertheless, when the teams were announced the actual make-up of United's team took the breath away.
Federico Macheda, supersub in his two substitute appearances against
Aston Villa and Sunderland, was handed his first start, Fabio da Silva
his second.
Darron Gibson and Danny Welbeck their first appearances since the
Carling Cup final victory over Tottenham in the same stadium seven
weeks ago, while Rafael da Silva and Anderson were also included in
what must have been one of the youngest starting line-ups Ferguson has
ever selected.
The Everton supporters knew there could be no better chance to reach the final they crave so much.
United had one first half escape, when Ben Foster ill-advisedly
tried to nip past Louis Saha inside his own penalty area, only to
discover the former Red Devils striker was a bit cuter than he had
bargained for.
Saha stuck out a foot and for a fleeting moment thought he had
nicked the ball away from Foster, only to discover a kind bobble had
allowed the England keeper to gobble it back up.
Everton also had a penalty claim waved away by referee Mike Riley,
whose appointment as replacement for Steve Bennett did not meet with
the approval of Moyes. However, it was difficult to argue conclusively
Rafael had fouled Steven Pienaar.
Apart from that, their threat was negligible until Tim Cahill
emerged from the torpor to strike a fierce low drive that Foster did
well to keep out.
In sporadic bursts, United were at their free-flowing best. Yet
Macheda, who started brightly, and Welbeck were both guilty of rushing
passes or shots.
The nearest Ferguson's team came was when Joleon Lescott deflected a Welbeck shot wide, Rafael supplying the cross.
After the interval, United were the better team. Park Ji-sung sent
one shot skimming wide before Gibson tried his luck from long range
with a dipping shot Tim Howard saved without being able to hold.
If Riley is a United fan, as Moyes seemed to suggest in midweek, he
had a funny way of showing it as far as Ferguson was concerned.
The failure to award a penalty when Phil Jagielka barged Welbeck
over enraged the United boss, who vented his fury at every official
within earshot.
In that split-second, any notion that Ferguson did not care about
the FA Cup was shredded into tiny pieces and the United boss was off
his seat again shortly afterwards when Anderson's piledriver flicked
the roof of Howard's net.
The introduction of Dimitar Berbatov at the start of extra-time,
following the earlier arrivals of Patrice Evra and Paul Scholes, gave
United a more recognisable look, although it was again Cahill who
nearly broke the deadlock, Foster making a fine feet-first save.
Everton then came agonisingly close when Vidic poked a shot from
substitute James Vaughan away from Cahill, who was ready to slot home a
tap-in.
In truth though, a goal never looked like coming.
And finally United saw their shoot-out luck run out, leaving Howard,
Moyes and chairman Bill Kenwright to celebrate a day they have waited
for so long to enjoy.
Teams:
Man Utd Foster, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic,
Fabio Da Silva (Evra 63), Welbeck, Gibson, Anderson, Park (Scholes 67),
Tevez, Macheda (Berbatov 91).
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Neville, Nani, Evans.
Booked: Rafael Da Silva, Tevez, Scholes.
Everton Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Osman, Neville, Fellaini (Vaughan 102), Pienaar, Cahill, Saha (Rodwell 70).
Subs Not Used: Nash, Yobo, Castillo, Jacobsen, Gosling.
Booked: Fellaini, Cahill.
Att: 88,141
Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).
sportinglife.com
Match 
Everton ended United's dream of a quintuple and with it the chances of winning their first F.A. Cup in 4 years on penalties. Cahill seemed to give the momentum to United missing his first penalty but then Berbatov and Ferdinand followed up with poor penalties to put Everton in the driving seat and they were all to happy to oblige in taking the opportunity slotting away their remaining penalties.
