As well as defeating Manchester United on Saturday, Harry Redknapp completed a hat trick of sorts in his long managerial career as his latest team Portsmouth concluded a list with Bournemouth & West Ham & now Portsmouth which have dumped the Reds out of the FA Cup, the visitors under pressure for the entire match defended resiliently throughout with goal line clearances & saves from Veteran David James helping the South Coast side onward to Wembley & to the semi finals.

United it has to be said were unlucky not to continue their journey in the oldest & most prestigious Cup competition in the world but on the flip side of the coin Portsmouth had bodies where it mattered to block out & put paid to any goals by the home side with first-class defending.

SAF opted to use Rooney & Carlos Tevez upfront with Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves in the middle of a packed midfield due to Redknapp favoured 4-5-1 formation.

Inside the 1st ten minutes, United should have been awarded a penalty as referee Martin Atkinson waved play on after Distin fouled Ronaldo in the penalty area, this prompted SAF to move from his comfy Audi Sponsored Chair to remonstrate with the fourth official.

The game was all United with congested traffic through midfield, Scholes & Hargreaves were doing their best to mount a serious battle against the odds of a 5 man organised Pompey defence minded midfield.

United suddenly broke on a typically dangerous counter attack led by Wayne Rooney & Carlos Tevez & with a goal in sight Rooney was only to find former Spurs & Arsenal defender Sol Campbell a large obstacle, with the ball blocked by Campbell, Tevez was first to pick up the ball & blasted goal bound but Glen Johnson cleared off the line denying Tevez his 16th of the season.

The Apache again worked the Portsmouth defence as David James saved the latest attempt from the Argentine striker.

United came out in the second half missing EVDS who due to an injury was substituted with Polish keeper Kuszczak.

Just as in the 1st half, the second was no different with the home side creating chances but not converting and after a pinball in the Portsmouth penalty box with a Tevez shot falling to Ronaldo, the prolific Portuguese forward shot agonisingly wide as Portsmouth rode their luck again.

SAF then opted for a tactical change as he reverted to the 4-3-3, off came Tevez and Owen Hargreaves & on came Anderson and Michael Carrick.

If you thought the last scramble was fortunate for the visiting side this just simply took the pis*

Ronaldo back-heeled the ball into the area and Carrick rounded keeper David James, but Ex Man City Defender Distin was on hand to make the most remarkable goal line clearance of his career.

Patrice Evra was the next Manchester United player/victim of bad fortune as a his vicious volley was parried onto the post resulting in the bloke Mr G Thompson who sits next to me at Old Trafford saying "This is not our day".

Well Grant Thompson, you were indeed correct because literally seconds later United found themselves conceding the goal which would knock them out of the cup as James hoofed a long ball downfield, Anderson showing inexperience let the ball bounce resulting in Kranjcar braking on the right.

Unfortunately for United, Rooney showing defensive commitment in the extreme ran to close down Kranjcar as Anderson tried in vain to inform Rooney he had the situation covered, this allowed Ex Bindipper Milan Baros to be unmarked on the other side of the pitch & after a pass a Goalscoring opportunity arrived for the visitors.

Hatchet man & reserve keeper Kuszczak had no option but to try to dash from his line to tackled Baros only for to clip the Portsmouth striker & give referee Atkinson no option but to award a penalty.

With Referee Atkinson missing the crucial fact that Wayne Rooney and Anderson were both guarding the goal Kuszczak was show a Red card.

With no reserve keeper in sight due to EVDS injury, Rio Ferdinand donned the keepers jersey.