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MANUEL UGARTE’S STUNNING strike and an overturned penalty decision at the death helped Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United escape with a 2-2 comeback draw at David Moyes’ Everton.
Alex Ferguson’s successor at Old Trafford looked set to inflict a 13th Premier League defeat of the season on the wretched Red Devils, who have won just four top-flight games since Amorim arrived in November.
Moyes has overseen as many league wins since returning to Everton in January and looked set to add another after Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure benefited from some abysmal first-half defending.
“Going down, going down, going down” bellowed the Toffees faithful as Amorim’s side stumbled towards defeat on their final visit to Goodison Park.
But Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick in the 72nd minute brought renewed hope and eight minutes later his set-piece was only cleared as far as Ugarte to chest and slam home from just inside the box.
More drama was to follow as referee Andy Madley awarded Everton a stoppage-time penalty after Ashley Young went down in the box under pressure from Harry Maguire, only to change his decision after the VAR advised him to review the monitor.
Amorim’s side struggled for much of the contest, with former defender Rio Ferdinand labelling their display as “embarrassing” and “unforgiveable” on TNT Sports shortly before Fernandes sparked their comeback.
Everton started by showing more desire to win second balls and forcing errors, including one that allowed Beto to get an early header on goal.
Jordan Pickford bravely spread himself to stop Rasmus Hojlund turning in a threatening Patrick Dorgu in a rare voyage forward by a United team lacking structure and confidence.
The Goodison Park faithful roared as their players hassled and harried the visitors, with the volume going up several notches after that pressure saw Casemiro dispossessed and Maguire cut out a cross for a corner.
United floundered as attempts to clear ended in a game of head tennis won by Everton, with Doucoure eventually nodding the ball through for Beto to swipe an effort into the ground and beyond Andre Onana in the 19th minute.
The home fans poked fun at the Red Devils during a prolonged VAR check that ended with a ruling that neither Jesper Lindstrom or Beto were offside in the move.
United’s response was meek and Moyes’ men capitalised in the 33rd minute.
Lindstrom sent Beto charging behind Maguire and the striker squared for Jack Harrison, who cut onto his right and forced Andre Onana into a save.
United’s goalkeeper could only send the ball ballooning into the air, with nor him or the flat-footed Maguire dealing with it as Doucoure nodded into an empty net.
“Attack, attack, attack” bellowed United’s frustrated fans but their side could only muster a couple of half-chances.
Amorim, surprisingly, did not make a change at the break and Moyes’ Toffees continued to keep them at arm’s length.
Doucoure saw an attempt stopped by Onana as the goalscorer threatened to make things worse for United, only to accidentally offer them a route back.
The Everton midfielder blocked a Fernandes free-kick with his arm in the wall, leading to the set piece being moved to just outside the box.
This time the United skipper beat the wall, with statuesque Pickford stranded as the ball nestled in the bottom right corner in the 72nd minute.
Fernandes ran back to the centre circle, geeing up team-mates and travelling fans, with another of his set-pieces bringing parity in the 80th minute.
The skipper’s free-kick delivery was headed clear by Beto and Ugarte controlled the ball on his chest before striking a left-footed effort beyond Pickford.
United sought a shock winner and Beto survived a VAR check for handball, then had a header held at the other end.
Pickford tipped over a Fernandes shot as the match headed towards a draw, only for added-time drama.
In the third minute of stoppage time, Idrissa Gueye saw a low drive saved by Onana and Young hit the deck under pressure from Matthijs de Ligt and Maguire.
Referee Madley pointed to the spot but the VAR Matthew Donohue advised him to go to the pitchside monitor, where he overturned his decision.
Everton’s anger at the decision was palpable as the final whistle blew.
Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
10 comments deleted .. it’s worse the journal is getting !
@Suzie Sunshine: it’s not freedom of speech as long as you say the right thing is it
@Suzie Sunshine: Didn’t see the comments. We wouldn’t always agree Suzi, but unless the comments are really bad and personal, they shouldn’t delete comments. I’ve had a few deleted, and wasn’t happy.
@Dave Doyle: one comment was out of order and then the rest were nothing major . It’s annoying when it happens ..
It is believed that the intended target was a serving Prison Officer. If this is the case it is a serious turn of events.
@Mick Jordan: Mick that’s not good at all of that’s what had happened here ..
So according to these previous comments we should not take any threat of violence serious , just sit back and joke about it
Probably an exhaust pipe, is this a summer thing, seems last year there was a Daily call out of the bomb disposal team, lost count actually and was anything discovered? No, seems the country is gone paranoid.
Padjii I’m with you all the way we need to keep this country Ireland safe the only way to do this is ban all Muslims and deport the rest of The ones that sneaked in and Baugh there way in with a brown paper bag
saying the device was not ‘viable’ is saying nothing at all – what people would most like to know if it was an actual ‘device’ – or a hoax, or a false alarm . . . the only thing giving this any real interest is that it was a serving prison officer (allegedly!)
Sensorship is alive and well dont ever forget it
have your say