He had the movement, he had the pace, he had the strike and he had the connection from the sort of range that would’ve taken this ball in past manys a goalkeeper.
He also had David De Gea in his way.
And, so, Shane Long’s wait continues.
It would’ve been quite the place to score his first goal in 10 and a half months.
Not since February 11th when Long scored the fourth goal in a 4-0 win over Sunderland has the Tipperary native hit the net for club or country. On Saturday, he was mere inches (probably an inch) from breaking the drought with an opener at Old Trafford.
He looked sharp too. The ball is spread wide to the right and Long’s run causes panic.
As it’s played, the defender thinks he has a good position.
But Long nicks in front of him.
The strike is true.
De Gea’s brick wall qualities are real.
And the ball goes over the bar with just centimetres to spare.
