United were held to a frustrating draw with Manchester
City after surrendering a two-goal lead in a breathless
encounter.
The Reds went two goals clear inside half an hour through Reece
Brown and Will Keane, only to succumb to heavy City pressure as
Alex Nimely reduced the arrears before Andrew Tutte converted a
90th-minute penalty.
For long periods it had seemed that desperate defending and an
inspired performance from United goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler was
going to all-but end the Blues' hopes of catching United in the
title race. Ultimately, the draw leaves the door ajar for
third-placed Liverpool.
City started with clear intent, as Nimely twice chanced his arm
inside two minutes, but Mame Biram Diouf was within a whisker of
breaking the deadlock with a glancing header on 10 minutes as
United found a foothold in the game.
The visitors' attack carried plenty of menace, however, and it
took a stunning double save from Zieler to keep out David Poole's
shot and Nimely's follow-up, which seemed a certain goal until the
German flung himself to parry it behind.
The importance of that save became apparent two minutes later as
United took the lead. Oliver Norwood curled a tantalising free-kick
into the City area and landed it perfectly on the forehead of the
onrushing Brown, who buried his header into the bottom corner.
The Reds' lead was doubled in audacious fashion on 27 minutes.
Brown's long ball down the right flank caused hesitation in the
Blues' defence and allowed Diouf to steal in. The Senegalese
striker's pull-back was just behind Keane, but the young striker
improvised and spun to backheel a finish into the goal.
Having opened his Reserves account with a spectacular winner at
Stockport on Monday, the 17-year-old striker is fast showing that
he is equipped to cope with a rapid rise through the ranks - this
truly was an astoundingly astute finish.
City's reaction was positive. Oliver Gill's brave block
prevented Nimely from connecting properly with an overhead kick,
but the lively striker wasn't to be denied and he halved the
arrears shortly afterwards by turning in the rebound after Dedryck
Boyata's header had rattled Zieler's crossbar.
The see-saw nature of the game continued as Diouf fired over
from 20 yards, while Norwood curled just wide from distance and
fired a volley straight at David Gonzales
Diouf was replaced by Cameron Stewart at half-time, and although
the game continued to swing from end to end, it wasn't until the
58th minute that the first shot on target came, when Tutte brought
a routine save from Zieler.
United introduced Febian Brandy at the expense of Gabriel
Obertan, and were forced into another change with 15 minutes
remaining. Ritchie De Laet and Kieran Trippier contested a 50-50
challenge from which the City man emerged with the ball. As play
continued and Zieler was forced to save from Tutte, De Laet stayed
down in obvious pain.
The Belgian was replaced by Magnus Eikrem, and Corry Evans
dropped back into the centre of defence. United almost snatched a
third goal with 10 minutes remaining, but Gonzales managed to claw
away Scott Wootton's header. At the other end Zieler was once again
equal to Boyata's close-range effort, before City turned the
screw.
Zieler could only palm out a corner to Nedum Onuoha, whose shot
was cleared off the line by Wootton, while Brown performed similar
heroics from Ben Mee's follow-up. When the ball was flighted back
in, Mee's header was spectacularly turned away by Zieler.
Just when it seemed United could hold out, however, Brown was
penalised for handball deep inside his own area, giving Tutte the
chance to fire home the leveller which City's pressure had
threatened for so long.
A point apiece was a fair result, and one which leaves this
season's title race hanging in the balance. United remain two
points clear of City, who have played a game more, but third-placed
Liverpool sit seven points off top spot but with four games in
hand.
United: Zieler; R Brown, Wootton, De Laet
(Eikrem, 75), Gill; Norwood, C Evans, Possebon, Obertan (Brandy,
66); Diouf (Stewart, 46), W Keane.
Sub not used: Devlin.
