Robins recalls memorable goal

26 October 2009 15:12
Barnsley boss Mark Robins will try and knock Sir Alex Ferguson out of the Carling Cup on Tuesday night almost 20 years after his own FA Cup goal helped save the Manchester United manager's job.[LNB]Robins' goal in a 1-0 third-round win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in January 1990 came at a time when the pressure was on Ferguson after three trophyless years at Old Trafford and had United lost the cup tie, the club may well have fired the Scot.[LNB]Robins, recalling how he wrote his name into United folklore, said: "I'd just broken into the first-team fold. The week before I had scored my first league goal against Wimbledon at Plough Lane. There was no alternative but to play me against Forest because there were a lot of injuries to senior players.[LNB]"In the first half I got a chance where the ball was played into my feet. I had my back to goal but I turned and hit it just past the post. I got the hair-dryer treatment at half-time because I didn't lay it back to Brian McClair.[LNB]"For the goal, I remember Lee Martin was tackled, the ball came to Mark Hughes and with the outside of his right foot he laid it into the penalty area but it hit the ground as it came up to me and I needed to guide it back where it came from.[LNB]"I got pushed in the back by one of their players but it went in the net and we won 1-0. It's nice that people think of the goal in that way and that I can have that claim, if you like."

Source: Eurosport