KOREY SMITH hooked home an injury-time winner to give Bristol City one of the greatest nights in their history.
The crowd could not contain themselves at the end with many invading the pitch after the Championship side had overhauled the 20 times Champions and holders of the Carabao Cup.
It put them into the semi-finals of this competition for the first time in their history. Manager Lee Johnson was depicted as Superman on the front cover of a special programme for last night. It was a ball boy that nearly took flight as the winner went in and he spun the young lad round in the air.
What a moment for a manager who was literally hounded out of his home with his family for his own safety last season as they narrowly avoided relegation. Wanted posters went up around town calling for him to go.
Chairman Steve Lansdown stood by him and his faith has been restored in spectacular fashion. The third placed club could yet enjoy promotion to the Premier League this season too.
Their Carabao Cup run to this stage saw them dispense of three Premier League teams up to this stage in Watford, Stoke and Crystal Palace. Now this.
The winning moment in injury time saw sub Matty Taylor chip the ball into the area and Smith chest it down, turn and bounce a shot through Sergio Romero’s legs. When you looked at the two sides it seemed there could be only one winner but City had other ideas. Last night was Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first start since his horror knee injury in April against Anderlecht.
Paul Pogba was back after his three-game ban for a sending off at Arsenal and there was that Luke Shaw bloke again. It was a good contest in the first half with City by no means looking overawed by the occasion in front of their first full house since Ashton Gate was redeveloped.
The home fans were making plenty of noise after just five minutes as well when a Josh Brownhill free kick had to be punched over the bar by Sergio Romero.
United responded when Anthony Martial crossed to the far post at the other end finding Ibra but his shot hit the goalkeeper and went up on to the bar.
The visitors would hit the woodwork again in the 21st minute when Marcus Rashford moved the ball to his right and released a low curling shot from 20 yards out. The ball beat Luke Steele but came back off the inside of his left-hand upright.
This was United’s best period of the first half and when Pogba powered down the middle and released one of his thunderbolts the ball curled just wide.
This was the good from Pogba but shortly after we also saw the bad. Given he was just back from a costly three-match ban his high foot on Marlon Pack, intentional or not, was not wise and could have earned another red.
He got away with it. City came back and Hordur Magnusson’s stinging half-volley from distance was well saved by Romero.
Bobby Reid was proving a real handful for the United defence on his own upfront and when his clever flick gave Smith a clear shot from eight yards the stadium began to rise in anticipation.
It would be the United fans behind the goal cheering in appreciation, however, when Daley Blind executed a superb last ditch tackle. City kept up the high standards they had set in the first period at the opening of the second and took the lead with a stunning goal on 51 minutes.
The turn and through ball from Pack was majestic but the finish was something else as Joe Bryan powered an angled shot into the far top corner.
The place went berserk but the celebrations would go quiet just seven minutes later. It had not been a stunning return from Ibra but you can’t keep him out the action.
After Pogba had been bundled over just outside the area the big Swede stepped up and curled a low free kick around the wall and through the despairing dive of Steele.
Ibra would soon be replaced by Romelu Lukaku who almost grabbed the winner.
Pogba supplied the cross, Lukaku the flick header and Steele the finger tip save.
The late drama, however would belong to Bristol City on an incredible night at Ashton Gate.
From The Sun
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