Manchester United at brilliant best

Press, 28 May 1983, Page 56

Manchester United at brilliant best

NZPA London Manchester United gave club president, Sir Matt Busby, a birthday present to remember when they thrashed-Brighton 4-0 to win the English Football Association Cup for the fifth time. Sir Matt, United’s best known former manager, celebrated his seventyfourth birthday by watching United tear Brighton to pieces in a replay of the final. It was United’s first win since 1977 and the competition’s biggest winning margin for 80 years. The underdogs, Brighton,

who stunned United at the week-end by snatching a 2-2 draw, found Wembley a much more hostile place this time as United played at their brilliant best. Two goals from the England captain, Bryan Robson, and another by 18-year-old Norman Whiteside, put United 3-0 at half-time. After that the result was a mere formality. A Dutchman, Arnold Muhren, added the fourh goal from the penalty spot in the sixty-second minute when Robson was hauled down and the rest of the half was cruelly onesided. Right from the start,

United began probing any possible weakness down Brighton’s right flank, where left-footed Steve Gatting was playing at fullback. It found one after 24 minutes. Muhren fed Alan Davies inside Brighton’s box and the Welshman knocked the ball back into the path of Robson, who scored with a beautifully placed leftfooted shot. Davies, playing only his fifth game for United, was the architect of the second goal four minutes later. He collected Muhren’s corner at the far post, drew a defender and found Whiteside with an accurate centre.

The Northern Ireland international, racing into space unmarked, planted his firm header' to the left of Brighton goal-keeper Graham Moseley, with England defender Steve Foster — back for the replay after suspension — looking on helplessly. Brighton struggled gallantly to haul itself back into the game and Jimmy Case, so often their saviour, almost pulled back a goal four minutes before the break. His 20-metre shot took a wicked deflection off defender Kevin Moran and the United goalkeeper, Gary Bailey, had to back-pedal furiously to punch the ball

over the bar. Such was United’s dominance that it was his only save of the half. United’s third, and Robson’s second, came in the forty-third minute and was clinically executed. Foster fouled Whiteside just outside Brighton’s penalty area and United’s Frank Stapleton climbed above Brighton’s defence to meet Muhren’s pinpoint free kick at the far post. He headed the ball back across the face of the goal for Robson to race on to and blast high into the net from point blank range. Apart from collecting the Cup it was his easiest task of the night.