SCH! IT’S PAINFUL MEMORY
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER looked wistful when thinking back to the last Manchester derby at Maine Road, in November 2002.
“I scored against Peter Schmeichel,” remembered former United player and boss Ole.
“But he should never have played for Manchester City anyway. That’s another story...”
Solskjaer would rather recall the memories he shared with Schmeichel as a Red, at Old Trafford.
It was Solskjaer’s last-gasp strike at the Nou Camp in 1999 that secured the Champions League and The Treble – and sent Schmeichel into cartwheels of joy at the final whistle.
That was the last of Schmeichel’s 292 appearances for United after six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the Champions League.
At the age of 35, he moved to Portugal and, after two years with Sporting Lisbon, he made a surprise return to the Premier League, with Aston Villa.
Then after a season at Villa Park, Schmeichel did the unthinkable.
The United legend joined City in the summer of 2002.
When the sides met at Maine Road that November Gary Neville ignored Schmeichel’s offer of a handshake in the tunnel before the match.
For four successive seasons, Shaun Goater had been City’s top scorer, but in the summer of 2002 the signs were that he could be on his way out of Maine Road.
City boss Kevin Keegan had brought in Nicolas Anelka (£13million) and Jon Macken (£5m) – but there was still a place for 32-year-old Goater in the starting XI against United and he had a hand in the opening goal.
United keeper Fabien Barthez couldn’t hang on to his bobbling shot and Anelka mopped up
The scores were level after eight minutes, Ryan Giggs hooking over a cross that Solskjaer converted.
Only Goater imagined there was even the possibility of a goal in the 26th minute. Neville was shielding an overhit pass behind for a goal kick, but Goater had other ideas.
He dispossessed him and his rightfoot shot went under Barthez’s body.
The 100th goal of Goater’s City career came in the 50th minute for 3-1 and put the match beyond United.
Neville was substituted shortly afterwards and, at the final whistle, Schmeichel celebrated City’s first win in a Manchester derby for 13 years – with a cartwheel.