FA Cup: Ighalo scores with his first shot
Pius Ayinor
Odion Ighalo’s first shot at goal and the game’s first shot on target it ended up as a goal for the Nigerian and Manchester United in the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday. It was a quarter finals match played on at Norwich which United won by 2-1 in extra time after a 1-1 deadlock at 90 minutes.
Ighalo’s goal is his fifth in his fourth start for the club.
The match was scoreless in the first half and but at the 51st minute Ighalo was exactly where a hitman should be – right in the box – and he then hooked home a Juan Mata’s pass.
Ex-Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder Jermaine Jenas commented about the goal on BBC One afterwards rating the Nigerian against other strikers.
He said, “That right there is the attraction and the beauty of Odion Ighalo – the right place, right time type of striker. Look at the concentration; he just knew he needed to get good contact on it. It’s a really good finish, with the way he had to adjust his body.
“You don’t see Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial scoring those times of goals – the fox in the box type goals.”
It was good and well for United until a cracking strike from Todd Cantwell levelled the score.
History was made with the game as Manchester United became the first team in English football to make six substitutions in the same game.
It then became an attacking one too, as centre-back Eric Bailly was replaced by Anthony Martial. The changes put forward Marcus Rashford, Odion Ighalo, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood all in action at the same time forcing the 10-man home team Norwich back against the rope. And they began to defend in numbers.
It therefore became a matter of time for the needed goal to win the game for United. And Harry Maguire sealed it off in the 117th minute after the initial effort from Ighalo was blocked.