Solskjaer rescues Man Utd

Mark Viduka puts Leeds United ahead at Old Trafford

E-mail your reaction to Football Talk

Manchester United 1-1 Leeds United

Manchester United's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer staged another late show to deny Leeds United their first Old Trafford league win in 20 years.

David O'Leary's side looked on course for a victory that would have rubber-stamped their title credentials after Mark Viduka gave Leeds the lead with 14 minutes to go.

  Key moments

27 mins: Viduka shoots wide

35 mins: Beckham's toe poke hits the post

56 mins: Beckham and Robbie Keane booked for clash

59 mins: Keane's free kick "goal" disallowed

76mins: Viduka breaks the deadlock

88 mins: Solskjaer heads in the equaliser

90 mins: Martyn makes a brace of late saves

But as United stared back-to-back home defeats in the face after the shock Old Trafford setback against Bolton, up stepped Solskjaer with his familiar escape act.

He headed an equaliser with two minutes left - then Leeds United goalkeeper Nigel Martyn needed to produce two stunning saves to stop Manchester United staging a remarkable recovery.

Sir Alex Ferguson may point to the legality of Viduka's suspiciously offside goal - and a second half incident when Leeds should have been reduced to 10 men - as turning points.

It was quite obvious - if you lift your hands you are sent off

Sir Alex Ferguson on Robbie Keane

Robbie Keane flattened David Beckham with a two-handed push in the face in the second half, but was amazingly only shown the yellow card by referee Dermot Gallagher.

But in the end both managers will probably be satisfied with a draw.

Manchester United drafted Nicky Butt in for knee injury victim Roy Keane - and dominated first-half territory and position,

Flashpoint: Beckham and Keane are booked

Beckham's trademark free-kick brought a fine save from Martyn after two minutes, but Leeds broke the shackles after 27 minutes to create the best chance of the half.

Harry Kewell - helped by Gary Neville's lapse in concentration - helped Viduka spring the offside trap, but the giant Australian finished tamely with only Fabien Barthez to beat.

Ferguson's side responded and were unlucky not to take the lead 10 minutes before the interval, when Beckham's half-hit finish rebounded off an upright.

I'm disappointed because we sat back on the lead after Mark Viduka scored

Leeds United manager David O'Leary

The increasing tension sparked the confrontation between Beckham and Keane after 56 minutes, when the Leeds striker responded to a double foul by Beckham with a full-blooded push in the face that floored the England captain.

Referee Gallagher took his time before booking Beckham and showed astonishing leniency by reprieving Keane with only a yellow card.

The deadlock was finally broken with 14 minutes left - and it was Viduka who did the job for Leeds.

Beckham hits the post

Ian Harte's cross found Viduka in a suspiciously offside position as Mikael Silvestre wavered, but the Leeds striker did not and fired his second league goal of the season.

But United were not to be denied, and it was Solskjaer who saved United again with a late equaliser, heading Ryan Giggs' cross past Martyn.

It set the stage for a grand finale - and only brilliant saves by Martyn from Ruud van Nistelrooy and his own defender Dominic Matteo denied United a win.

---

Man Utd: Barthez, Gary Neville, Blanc, Brown, Silvestre, Beckham, Veron, Butt, Giggs, Scholes, van Nistelrooy. Subs: Carroll, Phil Neville, Yorke, Solskjaer, Chadwick.

Leeds: Martyn, Mills, Ferdinand, Matteo, Harte, Bowyer, Bakke, Dacourt, Kewell, Keane, Viduka. Subs: Woodgate, Robinson, Smith, Johnson, Batty.

Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).