O WHAT A FRIGHT

Orient express so close to derailing Pen's men

- Simon Mullock

RICHIE WELLENS' earliest memory of the FA Cup was watching on TV as Norman Whiteside took aim at the water bottle lying in the net behind Neville Southall and was rewarded with one of Wembley's great winning goals.

Wellens was five years old - and is still upset that his mum taped over the video cassette on which Whiteside's curling strike had been recorded.

Forty years on and the Mancunian has something even more precious to remember.

Wellens won't accept platitudes, certainly until the dust on this dramatic FA Cup encounter has settled.

But this was the day when he went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola, the manager he hails as the best of this, MI FAC TOGETH or any other, generation - and almost pulled it off.

Leyton Orient, of League One, led the four-in-arow champions for 40 minutes thanks to a moment of outbrilliance rageous from Jamie Donley.

The strike was credited as an own goal to City keeper Stefan Ortega after Donley's clipped effort from more than 40 yards came back off the crossbar and bounced in off the German's back.