Shay Given admits Manchester City want revenge in the Carling Cup
semi-final for their injury-time defeat at Manchester United in
September.
The two derby rivals face each other in the first leg of
their hotly-anticipated last-four clash at Eastlands on Wednesday
night, with City stopper Given keen to avenge their heart-breaking
4-3 defeat at Old Trafford in the Premier League, when Michael Owen
poked home a 96th-minute winner in a 4-3 win for the champions.
The Irish keeper said: "I have to admit it took me a long
while to get over it. A lot has happened since and it's gone now
but it took me a good few weeks, even a couple of months, to get it
out of my system," he continued. "We played so well that day and
for them to get such a late, late goal was very difficult for
everyone to swallow.
"So we'd like to get our own back for that. We've only lost
twice all season, despite everything that has been said and written
about us, and that was one of them, in the 99th minute at Old
Trafford.
"I think everyone else, apart from the referee, had stopped
their watches by that time. It was well over the time, we know
that.
"But we're doing OK and we go into this match in good heart.
It seems like a long time ago now and we have to look forward.
"We were gutted with the way it went but we know we have to
defend better in those situations on Wednesday night and keep going
right until the whistle."
While for some teams the Carling Cup is not a top priority,
Given insists City are desperate to go all the way and win their
first najor trophy since 1976.
He added: "We're not in Europe this year so the two cups are
an opportunity for us to try and pick up some silverware. We've got
a great squad of players and we're all hungry for success.
"We want to do something in the Carling Cup and if we can get
a run going in the FA Cup then who knows?
"It's going to be a special game for everyone on Wednesday
night. We know the fans are really excited about it, but so are the
players.
"They are going to be two red hot semi-finals. It's a huge
derby this one, I know now how much it means.
"When you get to this stage you've got to go on and win the
thing. People forget semi-finalists very quickly. Even losing
finalists get forgotten about, I know that from my two finals at
Newcastle.
"Only the winners get remembered so we're desperate to win a
competition and be remembered for it at this club as the first
players to pick up a trophy for a long time.
"I've been to semi-finals and finals but now I want to go all
the way and win something. We know how tough it's going to be but
we're really looking forward to it."
