Football: Everton shock United as draw revives title race

Ferguson says defensive lapses cost his team.

LONDON: Everton twice came from two goals behind to share the points in an extraordinary 4-4 draw away to leaders Manchester United that reignited the English Premier League title race.

Everton were 4-2 down with seven minutes of normal time left and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports afterwards, “We’ve thrown it [this match], absolutely given it away.”

Looking ahead to the Manchester derby, Ferguson said, “We’ve given them [City] the initiative. It makes the game at the Etihad Stadium more important — it’s the decider really.”

Ferguson, who acknowledged the City game would ‘definitely’ be the biggest derby of his long United career, added, “We’ve made it hard ourselves as we normally do but we have to go there knowing we are capable of getting a result.”

Everton, who last won at Old Trafford 20 years ago, took a 33rd-minute lead when Nikica Jelavic headed in Tony Hibbert’s cross as the visitors looked to bounce back from their FA Cup semi-final defeat by cross-town rivals Liverpool.

But United were level before the break when Wayne Rooney, against his former club, powered in a header from Nani’s cross.

Danny Welbeck’s superb curling shot past former United keeper Tim Howard gave Ferguson’s men a 2-1 lead before Nani’s clever finish on the hour made it 3-1.

Everton, however, would not lie down and Marouane Fellaini’s first time shot from Tony Hibbert’s cross cut United’s lead to 3-2.

But when Welbeck teed up Rooney for the England striker’s second goal in the 69th minute, it appeared United had wrapped up all three points.

But Everton fought back with Jelavic scoring his second before, five minutes from normal time, South Africa’s Steven Pienaar swept in Fellaini’s cross to make it a scarcely credible 4-4.

Meanwhile, Everton manager David Moye was delighted at his team’s resilience.

“It was absolutely brilliant, the effort players put in,” said Moye. “We lost a big game last week and today was a chance, in another big game, to stop people thinking our season is over.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2012.