United stumbles to Everton draw

Source: Agencies  |   2008-10-26  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

EVERTON held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw yesterday in another setback for the defending champion as it tries to catch the English Premier League leaders.

The Red Devils were cruising after Darren Fletcher scored in the 22nd minute, but Marouane Fellaini leveled in the 63rd.

United is five points adrift of Chelsea and Liverpool, which play each other today at Stamford Bridge and are level on 20 points atop the standings.

Third-place Hull City was at West Bromwich Albion later in the day and could also reach 20 points with a win. Also, Sunderland beat Newcastle United 2-1 in the northeast derby and Blackburn Rovers was playing Middlesbrough.

Sunderland, for whom Djibril Cisse and Kieran Richardson were on target, rose to ninth on 12 points while Newcastle stayed second from last on six points.

At Goodison Park, Liverpool, United looked headed for its seventh consecutive victory in all competitions after Fletcher controlled a pass from Ryan Giggs, rounded Joleon Lescott and shot through goalkeeper Tim Howard's legs.

Nemanja Vidic could have extended the lead but his shot was cleared off the line by Leon Osman and Howard then denied both Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs.

Everton was lucky to have conceded just one goal in the first half and the Toffees found their way back into the match when Fellaini rose above Vidic to head a cross from former United defender Phil Neville past goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

Wayne Rooney, who scored his first career goal for Everton in 2002, missed chances to score his 100th against his former club.

The England striker was substituted in the 72nd after being booked for a late tackle on Mikel Arteta, unjustly according to Ferguson.

"The referee was to blame because he booked him for nothing and the crowd was egging him on, wanting him to be sent off," Ferguson said. "In that situation you wonder who will be next."

Ferguson was critical of referee Alan Wiley for not punishing challenges on his players.

"I don't think the referee protected our players enough," Ferguson said. "I don't know what the game is coming to with some of the tackles and the speed of the tackles."

Ronaldo, still struggling to regain his form after undergoing ankle surgery, squandered a chance to restore United's lead in the 87th when the winger turned Nani's cross wide.

In Germany, Bayer Leverkusen moved top of the Bundesliga for at least a couple of nights when it grabbed a 2-0 win at home to neighbor FC Cologne on Friday.

Defender Manuel Friedrich got the opener midway through the second half, heading in from a couple of meters out after a corner had been nodded back into the middle, and Theofanis Gekas struck with a late penalty.

Leverkusen leads the standings with 18 points from nine games but it will need today's meeting between Hoffenheim and Hamburg SV to finish as a draw if it is to stay there.

Hamburg is now in second spot on 17 points, one ahead of newcomer Hoffenheim.