Robins relishing Fergie reunion

26 October 2009 21:25
// A bit of a hack but it works// The article snippet is wrapped onto a second line, even when #article-sub is emptyif( $("div#article-sub").children().length == 0 ) {$("div#article-sub").remove();} Mark Robins has the chance to mastermind a major shock on Tuesday almost 20 years after he scored a goal to 'save' Sir Alex Ferguson's job.[LNB] The Barnsley manager is looking forward to the Carling Cup clash with Manchester United at Oakwell and will be especially keen to pit his wits against Ferguson.[LNB]Robins was in the early stages of his playing career in 1990 when he netted the winning goal in a third-round FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest.[LNB]At the time Ferguson was under pressure after three trophyless years at Old Trafford and there was speculation he could lose his job.[LNB]United went on to win the FA Cup that year, the European Cup Winners' Cup arrived the following season and in 1993 Ferguson won the first of his 11 Premier League titles.[LNB]Robins is happy to be part of United folklore and can recall the circumstances which led to his famous goal.[LNB]"I had 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," said the 39-year-old.[LNB]Claim to fame"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."[LNB]Robins is more than happy to accept the credit for saving Ferguson's job, even if the United boss has a different version of the events that day.[LNB]He said: "It's nice that people think of the goal in that way and that I can have that claim, if you like.[LNB]"But Sir Alex wrote a book and, in it, he was asked the question did the goal save his job? He wrote that in training I would have missed it - but because I got a push in the back from Stuart Pearce it went in! So did I save his job? Yes, I did."[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports