Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Manchester United nearly ended up embarrassed by Hull at Old Trafford this afternoon.
Four-one up and cruising with an hour gone, Bernard Mendy's goal and a Geovanni penalty left United clinging on in the final frantic minutes to claim a 4-3 win from which they took the points - but Hull will get most of the plaudits.
Not for the first time in recent weeks, Ferguson was left to rue a series of missed opportunities which could eventually prove costly if the title race is eventually settled by goal difference.
"I feel a bit low," said the United boss. "We should have won by 10 or 11 and we ended up scrambling for a victory. We might have been embarrassed at the end.
"Cristiano Ronaldo could have had four or five on his own and I don't know how many chances Dimitar Berbatov created. "I suppose the only thing to take out of it, apart from the win, is the fact we are creating so many opportunities for ourselves."
Ferguson was fuming at the performance of referee Mike Dean, who he felt was in danger of losing control in the fractious final stages, with Wayne Rooney at particular risk as tempers began to fray.
But it was Dean's decision not to dismiss an already-booked Michael Turner for a foul on Michael Carrick midway through the second-half that really angered the United boss.
"It should have been at least a yellow card, in which case the player would have been sent off," said Ferguson. "It made a difference." Ferguson was also upset at the penalty award for Rio Ferdinand's tug on Mendy's shirt that set up the pulsating finish. "It was very soft," said the Scot. "Their lad was going away from goal."
Ferguson's assessment is debatable and should not be allowed to detract from Hull's magnificent effort. Ronaldo's two first-half efforts took his tally to seven for the season and 99 for United overall.
Michael Carrick immediately replied after Daniel Cousin had levelled Ronaldo's opening effort and once Vidic extended the lead, a landslide seemed likely. Instead, Hull hit back, becoming the first visiting side since Chelsea in 2005 to score three times at Old Trafford.
"It's mixed emotions," reflected Hull boss Phil Brown. "We can take a lot of pride from the game but nothing else. That is disappointing when you consider we scored three times. "I was not happy at half-time but we got in their faces a lot more in the second half and really battled hard.
"In some ways, I have more belief in this team than they have in themselves. "But I feel we have proved we are capable of competing at this level. Hopefully it continues for a long time yet."
