United-City: Reds Snatch the Points in Classic Derby Encounter

Michael Owen's last gasp winner gave the red half of Manchester the bragging rights in a classic Derby encounter of end-to-end football that somehow contrived to exceed the enormous pre-match hype.

Straight from the kickoff, United were the quickest out of the traps. They began the game with a high tempo approach and prevented their opponents from settling into the game.

Patrice Evra caught the City defence napping from an early throw in and advanced into the area before laying the ball off to Wayne Rooney. Rooney found the space to send a low shot beyond Given, giving United the lead within two minutes of kickoff.

City slowly regained their composure and found a foothold in the game before a loose forward pass led to a mix up at the back between Ben Foster and Rio Ferdinand.

Ferdinand left the ball for Foster, who failed to clear, allowing Carlos Tevez to sneak in and steal the ball. Tevez played it back for Gareth Barry and the summer signing from Aston Villa coolly slotted it into the United net for the equaliser.

With the score level, both teams settled in a pattern of quick passing and sharp tackling, with Barry and Anderson in particular putting in the tough challenges typical of any Derby game.

Patrice Evra and Shaun Wright-Phillips provided highlights with several forays forward; Wright-Phillips in particular skipping past tackles and dribbling with impunity.

Just before the break, Rooney gave the ball away carelessly in the centre circle to Kolo Toure, who advanced into the United half and passed to Tevez, the former United hero hitting the post. After an uneasy start, City looked marginally the better team at the break.

United came out after halftime looking more composed. On 48 minutes, Evra held the ball up on the left wing and laid it off for Ryan Giggs, who swung in a high cross to the back post. Darren Fletcher rose to head the ball home and give United back the lead.

Three minutes later and the first City attack of the second half saw Tevez advance at the United defence, laying the ball off to Craig Bellamy in a wide left position. John O’Shea and Ferdinand backed off Bellamy, who cut inside and launched a unstoppable shot past Foster and into the top right hand corner of the net. 2-2.

After the City equaliser, United pressed forward, playing a high line and trapping City in their own half. Inviting crosses were whipped in from the boot of Ryan Giggs, who turned back the clock in his old left-wing position.

Antonio Valencia was sent on in place of Park Ji-Sung to provide more of a threat on the right hand side. The substitution proved to be a master stroke.

Mark Hughes pushed Stephen Ireland wide to assist Wayne Bridge in defending against Valencia, leaving Manchester City’s midfielder undermanned and allowing United to dominate possession.

In the 64th minute, Dimitar Berbatov had a shot shaved point blank by Shay Given from a corner. Minutes later, Nemanja Vidic had a shot cleared off the line.

On 68 minutes, Giggs beat Wright-Phillips and then turned Ireland inside out, advancing into the box and crossing for Berbatov, who headed low to his right. It took a tremendous dive from Given to keep the ball out.

Two minutes later and Valencia reached the by-line, cutting the ball back for Giggs who struck a fierce shot straight at Given, the city goalkeeper parrying the ball up and over the bar.

City were unable to cope with United’s width, with the home team laying siege to the opposition goal. Only Given kept the visitors in the game.

In the 80th minute, United were rewarded for their second half dominance. Giggs swung in a cross from the left hand side, met again by the head of Darren Fletcher. Left unchallenged by Jolean Lescott, the Scotland captain nodded the ball home and made the score 3-2.

The match seemed won when City summoned the will to make a last assault on the United goal. Shaun Wright-Phillips flashed a shot wide from a solo run before Rio Ferdinand needlessly gave the ball away to Craig Bellamy on the half way line.

Bellamy sprinted forward with the ball at his feet and Ferdinand might have brought him down, but Bellamy evaded the England defender, drawing Ben Foster out of his goal.

Reaching the by-line and seemingly having gone too far, Bellamy then squeezed the ball past Foster and into the side-netting from an improbable angle to give City what looked like an equally improbable point.

But United, past masters at the last minute win, had no intention of being outdone. In the sixth minute of four minutes of injury time, with Hughes tapping his watch in the manner of his mentor-turned-rival, man of the match Giggs cut out the City defence with an inch perfect pass for Michael Owen. The substitute slotted the ball calmly past a despairing Given and sealed the points for United with virtually the last kick of the game.