SCHOLES AND NEVILLE SET TO STAY
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United were held to a frustrating draw with Manchester City after surrendering a two-goal lead in a breathless encounter.
The Reds went two goals clear inside half an hour through Reece Brown and Will Keane, only to succumb to heavy City pressure as Alex Nimely reduced the arrears before Andrew Tutte converted a 90th-minute penalty.
For long periods it had seemed that desperate defending and an inspired performance from United goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler was going to all-but end the Blues' hopes of catching United in the title race. Ultimately, the draw leaves the door ajar for third-placed Liverpool.City started with clear intent, as Nimely twice chanced his arm inside two minutes, but Mame Biram Diouf was within a whisker of breaking the deadlock with a glancing header on 10 minutes as United found a foothold in the game.
The visitors' attack carried plenty of menace, however, and it took a stunning double save from Zieler to keep out David Poole's shot and Nimely's follow-up, which seemed a certain goal until the German flung himself to parry it behind.
The importance of that save became apparent two minutes later as United took the lead. Oliver Norwood curled a tantalising free-kick into the City area and landed it perfectly on the forehead of the onrushing Brown, who buried his header into the bottom corner.
The Reds' lead was doubled in audacious fashion on 27 minutes. Brown's long ball down the right flank caused hesitation in the Blues' defence and allowed Diouf to steal in. The Senegalese striker's pull-back was just behind Keane, but the young striker improvised and spun to backheel a finish into the goal.
Having opened his Reserves account with a spectacular winner at Stockport on Monday, the 17-year-old striker is fast showing that he is equipped to cope with a rapid rise through the ranks - this truly was an astoundingly astute finish.
City's reaction was positive. Oliver Gill's brave block prevented Nimely from connecting properly with an overhead kick, but the lively striker wasn't to be denied and he halved the arrears shortly afterwards by turning in the rebound after Dedryck Boyata's header had rattled Zieler's crossbar.
The see-saw nature of the game continued as Diouf fired over from 20 yards, while Norwood curled just wide from distance and fired a volley straight at David Gonzales
Diouf was replaced by Cameron Stewart at half-time, and although the game continued to swing from end to end, it wasn't until the 58th minute that the first shot on target came, when Tutte brought a routine save from Zieler.
United introduced Febian Brandy at the expense of Gabriel Obertan, and were forced into another change with 15 minutes remaining. Ritchie De Laet and Kieran Trippier contested a 50-50 challenge from which the City man emerged with the ball. As play continued and Zieler was forced to save from Tutte, De Laet stayed down in obvious pain.
The Belgian was replaced by Magnus Eikrem, and Corry Evans dropped back into the centre of defence. United almost snatched a third goal with 10 minutes remaining, but Gonzales managed to claw away Scott Wootton's header. At the other end Zieler was once again equal to Boyata's close-range effort, before City turned the screw.
Zieler could only palm out a corner to Nedum Onuoha, whose shot was cleared off the line by Wootton, while Brown performed similar heroics from Ben Mee's follow-up. When the ball was flighted back in, Mee's header was spectacularly turned away by Zieler.
Just when it seemed United could hold out, however, Brown was penalised for handball deep inside his own area, giving Tutte the chance to fire home the leveller which City's pressure had threatened for so long.
A point apiece was a fair result, and one which leaves this season's title race hanging in the balance. United remain two points clear of City, who have played a game more, but third-placed Liverpool sit seven points off top spot but with four games in hand.
United: Zieler; R Brown, Wootton, De Laet (Eikrem, 75), Gill; Norwood, C Evans, Possebon, Obertan (Brandy, 66); Diouf (Stewart, 46), W Keane.
Sub not used: Devlin. -
Neville and Scholes could stay on
Sir Alex Ferguson can see both Gary Neville and Paul Scholes extending their Manchester United careers by another season.
Both of Ferguson's former fledglings have not yet secured their futures with the Red Devils as Scholes has been considering a one-year extension and Neville has insisted he wants to purely concentrate on his performances.
Ferguson has nothing but praise for the two 35-year-olds, who have shown they can still make a huge impact on the fortunes of the Premier League champions.
"Gary Neville is a player of will," said the United boss. "He has got where he is in life because he has the will to do it.
"When you are out of the game for so long at his age it is not easy. We don't bring him in every week because we know the nature of his body.
"But on Wednesday (against Milan) he was outstanding. At 35 years of age his drive is a great example to anybody and I can see him playing next season."
Both players have not been given a timescale to make a formal decision on their further contract extensions, but the United chief fully expects Scholes to also put pen to paper.
"I expect Paul to stay next year but I haven't spoken to him about it," he added.
Ferguson has been dealt further good news, with John O'Shea likely to make a return to training next month after the 28-year-old suffered a dead leg while on international duty for the Republic of Ireland, which developed a blood clot.