United denied by disputed late strike

Brimingham 1 Man Utd 1:LEE BOWYER scored a late equaliser, disputed vigorously by the visitors, to earn a draw which left Manchester United top of the league, albeit only on goal difference ahead of their city rivals. The ball seemed to come off the arm of Birmingham's Nikola Zigic in the penalty area before Bowyer, looking suspiciously offside, swept it home. Replays also suggested centre-half Rio Ferdinand was fouled as the cross came in.

The tenacity and endeavour of Birmingham City ensured that there would be no swift command by United. It was not even apparent that the visitors were all that better equipped for the contest in the first half. Alex Ferguson’s team have had enough difficulty on their travels to appreciate that nothing could come easy to them. All the same, the United players might have been telling themselves that they could weather the bouts of boldness from Birmingham that did not often pose a direct threat to the goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

In football the importance of money is crudely apparent and it is expressed most blatantly in the valuation of goalscorers. The issue of strikers is felt keenly at Birmingham. You could understand why Kevin Phillips, at 37, was still called upon by Birmingham as a substitute in the previous match, a 1-0 loss at Wolves.

Having averaged one goal per game at home in the league, Birmingham are bound to concentrate on a degree of security that might let them take the maximum benefit whenever they do come across a goal. Alex McLeish’s side beat Chelsea 1-0 in November, a stage of the season when fallibility by those visitors had just started to be exposed.

Birmingham began this game occupying 17th place, but they had conceded only half-a-dozen goals at St Andrews in the league. That part, at least, of the home record was the equal of United’s. Even so, McLeish has to develop a squad with a survivalist view of the world that can also pounce here and there for a goal. It is hard to relieve the pressure when a side instead doubts its ability to go on the attack.

The trouble is, of course, that such a team may turn fatalistic if it does fall behind. United must have seen a fine prospect of just their second away win in the league programme, but Birmingham also understood that they dare not huddle close to their own penalty area.

The hazards involved in that were illustrated after 18 minutes when it took a touch by their goalkeeper Ben Foster to put an attempt by Ryan Giggs against the post. The United veteran would be the first to admit it was a cross.

Birmingham themselves had so genuine an intent to attack that Nemanja Vidic brought down Cameron Jerome as he was on the verge of going clear in the 30th minute, but the centre-half was merely cautioned since Ferdinand was close enough to be deemed a covering defender. The hosts were showing then an intent to carry the game to Ferguson’s side even if the degree of finesse was lacking.

It was easy to see why McLeish had not lost in the Premier League here to one of the established Champions League clubs since Chelsea won at St Andrews in January 2008. Apart from any menace shown in this game, the endeavour prevented United from finding the rhythm that would have put them in command.

Ferguson’s side did not establish control but the sheer deftness of Berbatov brought the opener in the 58th minute. His flick released Darron Gibson on the right and the Bulgarian took the return to shoot low past Foster at his near post. It was Berbatov’s 14th League goal of the campaign and it had been clear well before this night that he is a mainstay for United.

Birmingham, for their part, are not in the habit of needing to take the game to opponents of this calibre at St Andrews. Nonetheless there had never been timidity to hamper them. What they understandably lacked was the touch of refinement that is the essence of Berbatov. The match grew a little quieter with Mr Mason’s yellow card going through a quite spell.

McLeish took the natural step of sending the skilled Aleksandr Hleb on in place of Sebastian Larsson, and he was immediately involved in a penalty appeal that was rightly turned down. United resorted to hoofing the ball away in the closing stages and it could be claimed they were the architects of their own misfortune when Bowyer pounced late on.

BIRMINGHAM CITY:Foster, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson (Hleb 69), Ferguson, Gardner, Bowyer, Beausejour (Zigic 82), Jerome (Phillips 85). Subs not used: Taylor, Derbyshire, Fahey, Jiranek. Booked: Gardner, Bowyer, Dann.

MANCHESTER UTD:Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Gibson (Hernandez 90), Carrick, Anderson (Fletcher 73), Giggs, Berbatov, Rooney. Subs not used: Kuszczak, Neville, Evans, Obertan, Macheda. Booked: Anderson, Vidic, Giggs.

Referee:Lee Mason (Lancashire).