Should Stoppage Time Have Been Extended During The Manchester Derby?

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

On Sept. 20, Manchester United took on inter-city rival Manchester City in the Manchester Derby.

During the match, United were able to ride two Darren Fletcher goals and a Wayne Rooney goal to give United a 3-2 edge going into stoppage time.

But, the game took a dramatic turn as United defender Rio Ferdinand tried to chip a pass along the right sideline. It was intercepted by Gareth Berry, who passed to Craig Bellamy, who sprinted 60 yards and put the ball past United keeper Ben Foster into the back of the net, which tied the game up at three between both sides at the beginning of stoppage time.

For the added time, the fourth referee Alan Wiley decided to add four minutes of stoppage time to the match.

After the goal, United went back onto the attack, and were able to earn a corner, Anderson got substituted for Michael Carrick, and Rooney took a shot that went over the crossbar, all of which added more time onto the match.

And what would now appear to be the final attacking chance by either side in the match, former United player Carlos Tevez fouled John O'Shea, giving United one more final chance on City's goal.

After the ensuing free kick, Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs received possession of the football, and made a pass into the penalty box for Michael Owen, who guided the ball into the low right corner of the net in the fifth minute of stoppage time, giving United a 4-3 lead.

After the goal, Owen ran around the perimeter of the Old Trafford pitch celebrating the goal, and City manager Mark Hughes was angrily protesting the decision to add so much of time.

After all of this was done, it was the seventh minute of stoppage time, and the refs ended the match with Manchester United controversially beating Manchester City 4-3.

After the match, Hughes stated that the game should have ended at the start of the fifth minute of stoppage time, and because it didn't, United was able to win the match.

But Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson saw this differently, as he stated that with City's goal, the corner and the substitution, the game should have lasted that long.

So after all of this, the question for you the reader is this: Was there too much stoppage time added to the Manchester Derby?

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