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The souvenir hunters were out in force at Old Trafford.

Anything not nailed down was quickly hoovered up. Signed shirts, pictures and programmes were carefully packed away while one tourist from the Blue Square Premier took away a piece of grass to ensure he would remember Saturday 19 February 2011 for the rest of his life.

In fact, so much memorabilia was gathered to commemorate the biggest day in Crawley Town's history that they could have done with another coach to take it all back to Sussex with them.

Heaven knows where manager Steve Evans found space to fit the bottle of red he had been handed by Sir Alex Ferguson as a parting gift.

David Hunt, the midfielder on loan from Brentford, bagged the prized shirt of Wayne Rooney. "He [Rooney] was stood next to me. I'd got the whack in the face so I think the shirt was an apology," said the former Crystal Palace player.

Sergio Torres, one of the names to stand out during this season's FA Cup, was as inventive at the final whistle as he had been throughout Crawley's historic run. "When I was coming off I thought, 'I need to have a memory of this day', so I put a bit of grass in my socks," said the Argentine who has gone from shelf stacker at Boots to FA Cup hero. "I've put it inside my boots and now I'm going to frame my boots with the grass because I'm not going to wear them again."

Then there was the moment a member of Ferguson's back-room staff knocked on the visitors' dressing-room door at Old Trafford after the whistle.

The mood inside was sombre as realisation sank in that an adventure which had started in Wales four months earlier with a fourth qualifying round victory over Newport County had come to an end after a rare Wes Brown goal.

Yet the United official was the bearer of more gifts and the atmosphere lifted. "We've gone in after the game and a member of staff has come in and given us a load of signed shirts by all the big players – the Rios and Giggsys," said Evans. "I said to Sir Alex, they set the standards on the pitch because they're top of the Premier League, but they set the standards off the pitch as well."

But for all the keepsakes, mementos, blood, sweat and tears, it was Ferguson's body language at the end of the tie which Crawley's players should freeze-frame and store away in their memory banks as the United manager failed to camouflage his relief after an uncomfortable experience at the hands of the non-Leaguers.

"Some came in and didn't do themselves justice. No doubt about that," said Ferguson after his fringe players fluffed their latest audition. "We might have some players who don't understand what the FA Cup is all about."

For Bebe, in particular, it was a chance to put right all the wrongs following United's shambolic Carling Cup exit at West Ham. He failed. What now for Gabriel Obertan? The French player has had 18 months to blossom at United yet there were times when he looked out of his depth against opponents from the fifth tier. The presence of 17-year-old countryman and midfield talent Paul Pogba on United's substitutes' bench ought to tell Obertan he faces being left behind if he does not step up.

It says everything about United's performance that the most positive news for Ferguson was that André-Pierre Gignac, the in-form Marseilles striker, will not face United in the Champions League on Wednesday after suffering a groin injury.

To be fair, United did what was needed. They are through to the sixth round and a scrappy, disjointed, lacklustre performance against Crawley will be forgotten if Ferguson brings the FA Cup back to Old Trafford in May. But while United's focus now shifts to the Champions League, Crawley, denied a stoppage time equaliser when Richard Brodie hit the woodwork, must now lift themselves as their quest to win promotion to the Football League continues at home to Southport tomorrow.

Scorer: Man Utd Brown 28.

Subs: Man Utd Rooney 6 (Anderson, h/t), Smalling 6 (Rafael, 54), Fletcher 6 (Fabio, 69). Crawley Brodie 7 (McAllister, 63), Cook 6 (Gibson, 69), Rusk (Smith, 81). Booked: Man Utd Brown, Rooney. Crawley Torres. Man of the match McFadzean. Match rating 6/10.

Possession Man Utd 47% Crawley 53%.

Attempts on target Man Utd 4 Crawley 3.

Referee L Probert (Wiltshire). Att 74,778.

Labels: Crawley, Independent, leave, prized, scalp, souvenirs, Trafford

The home side looked set to claim the win at a rain-soaked Parc y Scarlets as they entered added time with a one-point lead, but conceding a penalty from a scrum allowed Pienaar to kick his sixth three-pointer of the night.

Scarlets' losing bonus point took them up to third in the Magners League table, but they will struggle to take any positives from the result after the late drama.

The Welsh outfit had been ahead since the 22nd minute, when a penalty try gave them control. They were indebted to 11 points from Priestland, while all of Ulster's points came via the boot of Pienaar.

Ulster suffered a late withdrawal as fly-half Ian Humphreys was forced to withdraw after a recurrence of a shoulder injury, paving the way for 19-year-old Paddy Jackson to make his first start for the Irish province.

The Scarlets welcomed back four internationals, including Wales new boys Priestland and Josh Turnbull and Scotland wing Sean Lamont.

Ulster had opened up a 6-0 lead by the 10-minute mark as Pienaar kicked two penalties, with the South African also creating his side's best try-scoring opportunity with a 30-metre dash from a lineout.

But Priestland levelled the scores with two quick penalties of his own on 12 and 15 minutes.

The Scarlets then started to assert themselves up front and wing Gareth Maule took full-back Adam D'Arcy over his own try-line before three five-metre scrums resulted in a penalty try.

Although the hosts had the upper hand in the scrum, they could not make things click at the lineout, keeping Ulster in the hunt as Pienaar kicked a third penalty.

Seven minutes from the end of the first half, Ulster regained their seven-point lead as Priestland nailed a well-struck drop-goal.

The rain hammered down after the break and the second half was littered with mistakes, but Pienaar continued to be reliable with the boot as penalties on 48 and 60 minutes brought the visitors to within a point.

And just when it seemed the Scarlets had hung on, number eight Ben Morgan slipped his binding illegally at a scrum, allowing Pienaar to win it at the death.

Labels: leave, SkySports, Ulster

By Colin Young
Last updated at 11:07 PM on 1st February 2011

The fall-out after Andy Carroll’s departure from Newcastle has descended into a war of words between the ?35million Liverpool forward and Toon boss Alan Pardew.

Carroll maintains he was forced out of St James’ Park by owner Mike Ashley, managing director Derek Llambias and Pardew following Liverpool’s incredible bid for the England striker on Monday.

Pardew claimed the 21-year-old wanted to quit Tyneside after his pleas for a new contract were rejected.

The Newcastle boss said: ‘Some of the things he said, he’s slightly misguided. We certainly didn’t twist his arm to put in the request or get on the helicopter. He had a five-year contract, we said we would renew it in the summer.

‘He wanted to renew it straight away. He indicated to me in my room that he wanted a new deal, and if he couldn’t get that new deal he wanted the option of talking to Liverpool.

‘I said, “You need to put that in writing”, and he did and that’s it. We have not tried to sell Andy Carroll.

‘When I was asked, he was not for sale. But when you get a player who is the commodity that he is, you are going to get the big, big clubs involved with him and his representatives. Unfortunately for us, that has happened.

‘We knocked back so many bids for him and I was adamant he wasn’t going to go until extraordinary circumstances came along.

'When I first heard the bid from Liverpool at 8am, a substantial bid, my advice was to turn it down. But the figure is a record for a British player, a 21-year-old who has done six months in the Premier League.’

Carroll, who Pardew revealed is out for at least a month with a thigh problem, insists he was forced to put in a transfer request and ‘pushed out’.

He said: ‘I was in talks about a new contract with the gaffer. He told me they were now not going to give me a contract. That was as soon as the offer of ?30million came in.

‘I asked why and he said his hands were tied. He said it wasn’t up to him and then I was allowed to talk to Liverpool. The owner made it clear to me that I was not wanted, saying that his own helicopter was waiting for me to go down to talk to them.

‘Derek asked me to hand in a transfer request. I had no choice.

‘I’m gutted that I wasn’t wanted at my home team. I didn’t want to leave at all.’

Pardew reassured Newcastle fans that the ?35m would be re-invested in players.

‘That is Andy’s legacy to the team,’ he said.

‘I told Mike, “Look, if that boy is going, this money has to be reinvested in the team. All of it”. And he assured me of that.

‘It could not be used on Monday night. It would have been paying an inflated price for a lesser product than Andy Carroll.’

Labels: blasts, Carroll, claims, Daily, leave, Pardew, quitter, striker, wanted

The Upton Park crowd had made it plain that they did not appreciate the unique talents of Nikola Zigic. "Does the circus know you're here?" they chorused at the beginning of the second half. The beanpole Birmingham City striker would enjoy the heartiest of last laughs.

His goal settled this dismal game and spirited three precious points in the relegation struggle back to St Andrew's. It was one that showcased not only his aerial power but also West Ham United's patented ability to shoot themselves in the foot.

Only Mark Noble knew what he was thinking when he leapt recklessly into the back of David Bentley on the Birmingham left and the award of a free-kick by the referee Chris Foy was merely the prelude to the punishment. The substitute Sebastian Larsson curled it in to the back post and Zigic, having lost his marker, thumped a header home.

The Serb moved to Birmingham from Valencia last summer for £6m and this was his sixth goal for the club, making each of them pretty expensive. This one felt priceless. Zigic's introduction as a substitute swung the Carling Cup semi-final second leg against West Ham in his team's favour but Premier League points are the hardest currency.

Today was Avram Grant's 56th birthday but this was no way to celebrate. Apart from a late blast from the substitute Demba Ba on his debut, which rattled the near post, West Ham created little of note. After the tonic of the midweek win at Blackpool, the frustration of taking two steps back was palpable. The club's supporters did not even put their hearts into the booing at full-time.

The match was flat at the outset, as always seems to be the case with early kick-offs. There was a lack of tempo and sharpness, with Birmingham seemingly content to stay solid in midfield and look to punch on the counter.

West Ham, with Victor Obinna high up on the left flank and Robbie Keane scuttling about up front, were on the front foot slightly more but the lack of quality in both teams made for slim pickings. Misplaced passes and hopeful punts forward pockmarked the action.

The highlight of the first half came when the fourth official stepped forward to indicate that there would be only one minute of added time. The crowd had been treated to one shot on target, from Frédéric Piquionne in the 20th minute, which drew a routine save from Ben Foster and the occasional flicker from Obinna and Keane.

For Bimingham, the outstanding Roger Johnson timed a run into the penalty area but not his header and Zigic sent another one over the crossbar.

West Ham lost James Tomkins to an injury in the warm-up and his replacement in central defence, Matthew Upson, succumbed to tendinitis at half-time. Manuel da Costa came on to take over the watch on Zigic, which has to be one of the most physical challenges in football.

Alex McLeish, the Birmingham manager, switched to a five-man midfield on 57 minutes, when he swapped Cameron Jerome for Larsson, which placed even more emphasis on Zigic, and the second half was marginally better than the first.

The goal raised the temperature but West Ham could find no riposte. Ba, the £6m signing from Hoffenheim, hit the woodwork from a tight angle in the 77th minute but that was as close as his team came.

Labels: Birminghamaposs, Guardian, heads, leave, Nikola, Zigic