YOU CAN BE HEROES
‘89 legend Hanlan fires up Sutton for giant-killing WENGER IS WARNED HE’S FACING A RAT-TRAP
THE sinking ship must beware of the ‘rats’ – and Sutton’s Arjen Robben.
That’s the view of United striker Craig Dundas, who can’t wait for tomorrow night when he and his non-League pals face an FA Cup fifth-round tie against the team he supports.
Beleaguered Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and his men travel to Gander Green Lane hoping to IT is 28 years since Matt Hanlan made FA Cup history. And he reckons it is about time Sutton United had some new heroes. Hanlan will be at Gander Green Lane tomorrow night to see Paul Doswell’s National League minnows attempt to pull off one of the biggest shocks of the grand old competition’s 145-year history. And he admits that if Sutton can grab a money-spinning draw that would take them back to the Emirates for a replay, it would put the club’s 1989 third- round giant- killing of top-flight Coventry in the shade. Hanlan was the match-winner that day. He was a self-employed 22-yearold bricklayer playing for his hometown club for a bit of beer money and a love of the game. Then he scored the goal which changed his life. “It was a crazy time,” said Hanlan, who is now a director of a property c omp a n y avoid another cup upset. Their defeat by Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena in the Champions League on Wednesday was not exactly a shock but the manner of the thumping 5-1 defeat certainly was.
Another loss tomorrow, this time at the hands of Sutton, would seal Wenger’s fate, if it has not been sealed already. And Dundas has based in Bromley. “It felt like everyone wanted to talk to me – I even went on the Terry Wogan show – and as a young lad I loved every minute of it.
“I was working as a brickie then but, just for a few weeks, I was in all of the papers and being interviewed on TV.
“I got to live in the kind of media bubble that was usually reserved for players like Bryan Robson. And although it eventually died down once we got knocked out of the Cup, it was a goal that changed my life.
“People still ask me about it. Only the other week I was playing golf and somebody recognised me as the fella who scored ‘that goal’ for Sutton. We just wanted to write our own chapter of FA Cup history – and we did it.
“The lads at Sutton will have the same dreams that we did, although with all due respect to Coventry, getting a result against Arsenal would be a much bigger achievement.
“They have already done brilliantly to get to the fifth round, but this is a chance to really make history.”
Hanlan believes the secret of Sutton’s success was to treat the tie against Coventry like any other game.
The Sky Blues had won the FA Cup only 18 months earlier and were an warned the Premier League giants that there are plenty of dangers waiting for them in south London, not least in the shape of midfielders Craig Eastman, Bedsente Gomis and Nicky Bailey. Dundas, who doubles as Sutton’s fitness and conditioning coach, said: “Our three midfield players like to rat around, they close down established team with stars like Cyrille Regis, David Speedie, Steve Ogrizovic and Brian Kilcline.
But Hanlan said: “We were all a bit disappointed when we drew Coventry – and coming out of the hat first made it even more underwhelming.
“We wanted Man United, Arsenal or Liverpool. We had dreams of going to Old Trafford, or one of the other big First Division grounds.
“But Coventry were a strong team. They had seven or eight internationals and we knew we would have to play at our very best to have any chance.
“We didn’t change our preparation too much. We trained on Tuesday night and Thursday night as usual and a few of us turned up on Friday night as the BBC wanted to interview our top-scorer Lennie Dennis.
“On the day of the game we all got to the ground early to avoid any problems with traffic. We went through a few set-pieces on a local park in the morning and they were awful – but then we scored both of our goals from corners.
“We got brought down to earth in the fourth round, when we lost 8-0 at Norwich, but it was lovely to have a taste of what the Cup is all about.” sharpish and are pretty fit lads. Then we’ve got Roarie Deacon (left). He has been our matchwinner. If nothing’s happening he’s the guy we go to, he’s kind of the Arjen Robben of our team
“He likes to cut inside and go for goal and has got us out of a few sticky games.
“It’s a dream come true to play Arsenal, I’ve supported them all my life. Watching them recently has made me a bit frustrated but it would good to meet Arsene Wenger and a few of the stars they will bring here.
“Playing them at any time is a dream although I would have preferred them to have won against Bayern because now there might be a bit of a backlash.
“They might be looking to take it out on us. It is going to be a tough task but if they are not on their A game, then there may be a chance to sneak a victory.”