Owen’s timing is impeccable

Man Utd 4, Man City 3
SIR Alex Ferguson described it as probably the best Manchester derby of all time - and who was to argue as Michael Owen snatched a dramatic victory for the Reds with a goal after almost five-and-a-half minutes of stoppage time.

It left courageous City, likened by Ferguson to “noisy neighbours”, crestfallen as they had three times fought from behind and looked set to pinch a point after Craig Bellamy’s equaliser made it 3-3 with six seconds of the 90 minutes remaining.

City were left seething after referee Martin Atkinson signalled a minimum of four minutes of added time and ended up playing nearly seven.

City manager Mark Hughes said: “I am not questioning the integrity of the referee, but need an explanation as to why he added on so much time.

“If he can explain to me why he deemed fit to add that amount of time, I haven’t a problem, but I cannot see where he has got seven minutes from.”

Hughes added that his side showed great quality and character to hit back three times after falling behind and he felt “aggrieved” to have left Old Trafford empty handed.

“It was an important and significant game for our football club and can take a lot out of it as we gave as good as we got. We will be stronger from the events of today, not weaker,” said Hughes.

Ferguson described his side’s second-half display as “outstanding, absolutely magnificent”, but was also far from happy with their defending, declaring: “We made horrendous mistakes, mistakes you don’t normally associate with our team, and they kept City in the game.

“Every time we scored we made a mistake and if you do that you end up risking losing the match.

“The mistakes spoilt what ought to have been an emphatic victory as we could have won by six or seven goals.

“Fortunately we got the break and Michael Owen scored a fantastic goal and we deservedly won the game.

“There is nobody better than him at taking those kind of chances. His positional play, first touch and finish was absolutely magnificent - world class.”

Ferguson also took a swipe at City, describing them as the “noisy neighbours” in terms of the attention they are receiving.

Wayne Rooney gave the Reds a dream start inside two minutes with his sixth Premier League goal of the campaign.

Gareth Barry levelled the scores after the Reds gifted them the goal when Carlos Tevez dispossessed Ben Foster as the keeper dribbled the ball back into the box.

The goal lifted City, who could have taken the lead on the stroke of half time when Reds old-boy Tevez was released by Kolo Toure but saw his shot strike a post.

United regained control from the restart and were soon back in front when Fletcher rose above Gareth Barry at the far post to head home a cross from Ryan Giggs.

Within three minutes City were level when Bellamy scored a goal out of nothing as he cut in from the left and unleashed a superb shot.

That simply fired up the Reds who bombarded the City goal only for keeper Shay Given to deny Dimitar Berbatov and Giggs.

It looked as though City’s spirited resistance was finally broken when Fletcher made it 3-2 with 10 minutes left with another header from a Giggs cross.

However, City continued to create chances and they were rewarded when Bellamy struck again after a terrible blunder by Rio Ferdinand.

But there was to be one final, dramatic twist when substitute Owen grabbed the match-winning goal. Giggs sliced open the City defence with a diagonal pass and Owen burst through on the left of the box and steered a shot low wide of Given.