United thwarted once more

YESTERDAY did its best to rain on Manchester United's parade. Their fourth Premier, League title in five seasons remains within ostensibly easy reach, but after a second draw in three days, they are not yet home and certainly not dry.

A drenching Mancunian lunchtime left Old Trafford suffering, acute twinges of renewed anxiety, while Middlesbrough went home with their hopes of staying up still realistically alive, though tempered by the disappointment of losing a 3-1 lead.

For United it was Leicester all over again as their attack had to repair damage caused by defensive deficiencies. Once more Alex Ferguson's team went two goals down and once more they owed their point to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who headed the scores level at 3-3 midway through the second half.

Given the strength of attacking pressure Manchester United maintained after that, Middlesbrough did well to survive. But they deserved to draw because of the way their passing and movement had swept past the opposition's shaky cover earlier in the game.

So United now lead Liverpool by four points, and four goals, at the top of the Premier League and each has two matches to play. A defeat for Liverpool against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park tonight would end, Anfield's interest in the title but yesterday's outcome has kept alive the lingering hopes of Newcastle, who would still be in a position to overtake the leaders if they won at West Ham this evening.

Middlesbrough's unexpected point yesterday will have sent a shudder through the half dozen teams separated by two points who, are now hovering above the bottom three.

On yesterday's evidence Bryan Rob son's side are well capable of winning at Blackburn on Thursday although the torn hamstring which forced Fabrizio Ravanelli off shortly before half time, and will threaten the Italian's place in the FA Cup on Saturday week, was an ill timed blow.

Juninho was again Middlesbrough's inspiration. Chesterfield or Manchester United, they all come the same to the little Brazilian, who, in the first half particularly, found space in positions the defence had either ignored or forgotten about.

Yet Middlesbrough were equally well served by Clayton Blackmore, an Old Trafford old boy who consistently broke up attacks and brought the ball forward with determination and often better vision than his opposite numbers. The conditions were never going to suit either Manchester United's passing game or their penchant for striking quickly on the break.

Ryan Giggs was missing again but would have found it no easier than anyone else to drag the ball through the surface water. It was Juninho's ability to skim over the saturated conditions that made him such an initial threat. Afterwards Ferguson described United's defending as the worst in the last six years at this club." He also noted that against the Premier League's bottom seven this season his side had conceded 23 goals.

Yesterday the combined strength of Roy Keane and Ronny Johnsen in midfield did not spare David May and Gary Pallister another searching examination. Pallister, who has had back problems all season, turned and reversed on the slippery surface with the ease of a giant tanker going astern.

In the end the persistence of David Beckham, Gary Neville and Solskjaer, supervised by Eric Cantona, and with spasmodic assistance from Andy Cole might have brought United the victory which would have all but wrapped up the championship for another season.

Old Trafford had not long squelched to its seats before Juninho threatened to spoil Manchester United's day. Just before the quarter hour a long, patient, probing sequence of passes ended with the Brazilian accepting a return ball from Craig Hignett before placing it beyond Peter Schmeichel's reach. United drew level in the 35th minute while Ravanelli was having attention.

Solskjaer fed the ball in from the left and after Cole's attempt at a shot had been blocked it ran to Keane, who brought the scores level with a firm drive.

Juninho found Chris Freest one, who had just come on for Ravanelli, and with his first touch the substitute sent in Emerson, who had stolen up on the defence, to restore Middlesbroygh's lead. Two minutes later Robbie Mustoe's centre was nodded in from closed range by Hignett with the defence again in disarray.

Had Middlesbrough been able to hold their two goal advantage until half time United might have been done for. But in the 42nd minute, Cantona produced a superbly angled pass for Gary Neville to score with at, wellstruck shot into the far corner of the net. In the second half Manchester United regained much of their normal composure and exploited the wings to better effect, especially on the right from where the equaliser eventually came in the 67th minute, Solskjaer heading in from Gary Neville's centre.

But Middlesbrough held out amid numerous near misses by United, and Robson left his old stamping ground still with a chance of receiving another ovation there next season.