Sunderland and Man United supporters may have contrasting feelings over 2014 epic: View | OneFootball

Sunderland gave their fans a moment to remember in 2014, while Man United fans suffered a rare failure in the Theatre of Dreams.

As Craig Gardner and Steven Fletcher leaped on Vito Mannone like frogs to a lily pad, the away end at Old Trafford erupted into an uncontrollable frenzy.

On January 23rd, 2014, Sunderland achieved a feat that had passed them by for twelve years in reaching a domestic cup final. Having tied the League Cup semi-final 3-3 after two legs, the Roker Men defeated Manchester United 2-1 on penalties to book a place in the final at Wembley Stadium.

Although the Black Cats went on to be defeated 3-1 in the final by Manchester City, fans will remember the victory over United as one of their greatest moments in modern times.

Sunderland and Manchester United headed into the tie with poor starts to the season

In truth, not many would have fancied Sunderland heading into their League Cup semi-final first leg with Man United.

The Wearsiders had already defeated the likes of Chelsea and Southampton to secure their spot in the last four but were suffering in the Premier League as they sat bottom of the table. However, the club were on a run of respectable form heading into the match with David Moyes' side.

The Black Cats had lost one of their last seven and entered the match on the back of a 3-1 win over Carlisle United two days prior to the fixture. However, this was Manchester United, a club Sunderland had not beaten since the 2000 League Cup.

As for United, Sir Alex Ferguson had retired during the summer and the club were adjusting to a new era under Moyes. Having started the season in a mixed vein of form, United entered the match having suffered back-to-back defeats at home to Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City.

Perhaps it was the perfect time to face Moyes' men, but Sunderland would have to be at their very best to pull off a result against one of world football's all-time greats.

Sunderland's first leg victory over Manchester United set up a thrilling second leg

It was not until first half stoppage time that the game really took off. Having hit the bar and had a goal disallowed earlier in the half, United went behind after Ryan Giggs slid the ball into his own net while under pressure from former Red Devil, Phil Bardsley.

Sunderland's lead did not last long, as the towering figure of Nemanja Vidic headed home from a corner early into the second half, having beaten former United duo John O'Shea and Wes Brown in the air. United were back, and normal service was resumed.

However, Sunderland did not let their heads drop, and having come close moments earlier, Adam Johnson was brought down by Tom Cleverly just inside the box. Although it was a contentious decision, the Black Cats did not care in the slightest.

Liverpool loanee, Fabio Borini, stepped up for the pressure penalty and fired home emphatically into the top corner to clinch the first leg for Sunderland. At 2-1, the game was far from over, but the Wearsiders had given themselves a fighting chance.

Manchester United defeated Sunderland after extra time drama to set up a penalty shoot-out

The second leg at Old Trafford went as predicted, but there were more plot twists with ex-players from either side heavily involved in the fate of the game.

Old Trafford always represented a daunting task under Sir Alex, but under Moyes, it was a different proposition. However, with a reported 71,019 fans in attendance, the Black Cats would have to pull off an almighty performance under pressure to emerge victorious from the Theatre of Dreams.

Unsurprisingly, United took the lead in the 37th minute when two ex-Sunderland loanees combined. Jonny Evans connected with Danny Welbeck's flick-on from a corner to give Moyes' men the lead as the Wearsiders were exposed from a set piece yet again.

Following a nervy second half, both sides were unable to find a decisive goal to send them through to the final and had to settle for the tension of extra time.

As the game looked to be heading to a penalty shoot-out, the ball fell perfectly to Bardsley just outside the United box. With the right-back's shot struck straight at David De Gea, the ball had no right to find the back of the net, but De Gea pathetically parried the ball into his own net in the 29th minute of extra time.

Sunderland were on their way to Wembley if they could hold on for a couple of minutes, but that would be easier said than done.

While the Wearsiders sat back, they invited pressure on Vito Mannone's goal and with just one minute to go, Adnan Januzaj squared the ball across the Sunderland box. After what felt like an eternity, the ball fell to the perfect player, Javier Hernandez, and the score was all level at 3-3.

With the game going to penalties, United had to be the favourites. The Red Devils were used to this pressure, this scenario, whereas for Sunderland it was as familiar as flying to the moon.

Sunderland toppled Manchester United after woeful penalty shoot-out

In all honesty, penalty shoot-outs do not get more tragic than this one. While Sunderland had the advantage of taking first, they had to make it count to settle the nerves of the players.

Up stepped Craig Gardner, a player who certainly knew how to strike a ball, but this was a pressure cooker. Hitting the target is the first rule of taking a penalty, but Gardner tore up that rule book with a strike more akin to Jonny Wilkinson as the ball sailed into the crowd.

Welbeck had the perfect view of Gardner's penalty, and instead of striking home with gumption, the former Sunderland man took out his lob wedge and replicated Gardner's woeful attempt.

Following a Steven Fletcher miss, his name's sake, Darren, fired United into the lead, heaping pressure onto the Black Cats. However, the Wearsiders saved their classiest penalty takers for the third and fourth spot kicks.

While the stylish duo of Marcos Alonso and Ki Sung-Yeung made easy work of their spot kicks, United missed two on the spin, with Januzaj having his saved by Mannone, while Phil Jones did his best Phil Jones impersonation in firing well over the bar.

Why Jones was let anywhere near the penalty spot is a question that should have been posed to Moyes, given the defender almost injured himself with a technique that resembled a clip from 'You've Been Framed'.

Following Johnson's miss, the Black Cats led the shoot-out 2-1, and therefore it was down to Rafael to take the game to sudden death. Although the right-back's penalty was well struck, it was the perfect height for Mannone, who got a strong hand on the ball to win the game for Sunderland.

As Mannone sprinted towards his team-mates, the entire coaching staff and bench swarmed the pitch in scenes that simply had not been seen by many Black Cats supporters. The club were in their first cup final since 1992 at the cost of English football's greatest side.

While Sunderland went on to lose the final, the club created a moment to savour for every single fan, young and old. Given the struggles the fans had endured season after season, this was their redemption - a fitting one.

Since Sunderland's 2014 League Cup final appearance, the club have only had cup success in the EFL Trophy, and it could be some time before the club replicate one of their greatest moments of the modern era.

Sunderland's 2014 League Cup semi-final victory over Manchester United produced several key moments with ex-players proving influential in the two-legged affair.

After winning the first leg 2-1, the Black Cats were defeated 1-0 at Old Trafford. In extra time, Bardsley thought he had won it but for Chicharito to bag an equaliser right at the death.

Having trailed in the penalty shoot-out, Sunderland reigned supreme, and although the shoot-out provided a lesson in how to not take penalties, the Wearsiders did not care in the slightest.

Given the torrid times endured on Wearside, fans will be forever thankful to Gus Poyet and his men for the glimmer of hope they gave the Sunderland faithful in the Theatre of Dreams. The memories of that night, and its epic events, are sure to be contrasting between both sets of fans.