Everton V Man Utd : Review from a very happy Evertonians

This was our day in the sun and everyone knew it. I don't go in for all that best fans in the world rubbish. I don't care what the wider football media/public think about Everton & Evertonians...it's my fellow blues that count. I stayed in Hammersmith on Saturday and as soon as I got up on Sunday we were bumping into blues. A little glance/smile/nod or a proper "Come on you Blues!", it felt like our day from the off. We met up for a drink with loads of our mates, no-one was missing this one.

Train stations and pubs were all there "WHAT'S OUR NAME?" "EVERTON". The United fans milling around seemed to know to take a back seat, this was just another game to them. They didn't seem to begrudge us it (plus the enemy of my enemy is my friend). Loved every second of it, the sun shining down on all those royal blue jerseys. The buzz outside the ground was immense, people were just bouncing....it's understandable, it's pitiful that it's been almost 15 years since our last Wembley trip, the high spirits were brilliant. Obviously I hope for loads more days like this but I do hope we never get blase about it like our Manc cousins obviously were. Kids and big kids smiling and just enjoying being a bluenose (there's been plenty of times when it was difficult)...some of those young uns have been ripped by their rednose mates there entire lives. Well every dog has there day and this was ours. I now know that there is no upper limit on the size of a Fellaini wig.

The team news also highlight the United priorities, were we ever going to get a better chance? Into the ground then, two behind Joey 'The Pieman' Parkinson, I even rubbed his head for look....I knew it was out day from that second onwards. "The City's all yours, The City's all yours...we're off to Wembley. The City's all yours" up those stairs and into our seat. Up in the Gods but who cares, the Evertonians were in early and the party started. Nervous at first but by the start of the second half it was rocking. As I said earlier I'm not into all that "Best supporters in the world", all I know is that those players knew how much we love them.

So ultimately we came up just short of winning the game properly, if Vaughan had put that late chance away...but then again they should have had a penalty. Vidic was immense for them and they kept us at arms length....but we had at least matched them. Neville put in a true captains performance whilst Jags and Lescott were superb. So it the penalty shoot-out. Arteta and Jo milled around geeing up the players, their mates. Rooney and Ronaldo were watching back home. Is that telling?

I reckon everyone in our end thought it was over...I didn't see too many long faces. We'd done ourselves proud, we all knew we'd had a great day, Cahill missed and we just started singing his name, no recriminations... It's Tim, we owe him plenty. But as it turns out this was our day...Berbatov took one of the worst pens I've ever seen, Bainsey takes on of the best. Ferdinand puts it a little too close and all of a sudden it's getting scarey. Neville and Vaughan both did it and so it comes to Jagielka, a player who has been beyond brilliant all year. We were so close to getting the glory, but it never happens to Everton, we are the bridesmaid not the bride. I could barely watch but Jags puts his head down and he scorches it in...it was like 30,000 fireworks had gone off at once in our end. Just grabbing anyone and everyone and screaming, I had tears in my eyes. It just went on for so long, finally looked round and the team were already making their way to the Everton end, the Mancs had somehow all left.

Z-Cars and Forever Everton rang out and we sang like loons, Amarillo and Hi Ho Silver lining...incongruous but who cares. Everton had done it...hadn't we? Yeah, we had...we never normally do it. Even last year when we set about Fiorentina and turned around a first leg defecit, we'd still managed to have it snatched from us...this is a team that earlier this season managed to equalise with the penultimate kick of the game and still manage to lose. But there you go...every dog has it's day. Moyes and his Everton may well be pushing against a glass ceiling but days like this come along and you see the pride, hunger & togetherness in player, manager and fan alike. Wembley again in May. Bring it on.