Beattie's header sinks United to completes black week for Ferguson

Southampton 1 Manchester United 0

Last week Ferguson was sent off at Newcastle and yesterday he was ‘booked’ by David Beckham’s revelations of their relationship in an autobiography. However, it is doubtful if Fergie felt any worse than yesterday at St Mary’s where Southampton inflicted United’s first Premiership defeat since St Stephen’s Day, courtesy of Beattie’s close-range header two minutes from time.

United’s new American goalkeeper Tim Howard had to take the blame for letting a Graeme Le Saux corner sail over his head and give Beattie a goal on a plate. The striker, who nearly won the Golden Boot last season with 23 goals, does not miss opportunities like that.

Fergie’s fury was plain to see even though it looked as if his side might escape and finish blank in a fixture which has produced no fewer than 80 goals in the last 22 meetings.

Nobody could begrudge Southampton, who had drawn all their three earlier fixtures this season, celebrating their first win. They had taken off new striker Kevin Phillips who spurned two chances to give them the victory, before Beattie came up trumps.

Ferguson admitted after the game that Paul Scholes is out for a month and new signing Kleberson has a suspected dislocated shoulder. On top of that, Rio Ferdinand must see a specialist on Wednesday about the kidney complaint that has kept him out of the past two United matches and threatens to make him miss England’s trip to Macedonia for a Euro 2004 qualifier.Kleberson was in hospital last night for scans on his right arm amid fears that he had dislocated a shoulder.

The pain of injuries was matched by the anguish of defeat via Beattie’s 88th-minute header for which American goalkeeper Tim Howard looked culpable. However, Ferguson said: “I think he may have got a push as the ball came over from the corner. He’s obviously not happy about it, but he’s a big lad and he’s somebody who can bounce back from mistakes.

“There was nothing very inspirational out there. It was a hot day for both sets of players and we did not come up with very much. We had only one real attack in the first half and that was from Ryan Giggs.

“Don’t take away from Southampton, but maybe a better result would have been a draw. Of course, we’re disappointed. When somebody scores at that time of the day it’s very difficult to come back but we are a team who have shown we can get over our disappointments. The season is a long one and nobody ever won the title at this time of the year.”

Southampton manager Gordon Strachan paid tribute to the hard work of striker Beattie which earned him a dramatic late winner. “Hard work will get you everything. That’s what we got from James and he deserved the goal he scored.”

Beattie’s 88th-minute winner came when Graeme Le Saux’s corner flew over the head of goalkeeper Tim Howard leaving an open goal and Strachan admitted: “James had a bit of luck, but the harder you work the luckier you get.”

He also praised his back four for a solid performance against United’s strikers and said: “They defended really well and it wasn’t panic defending. The midfield and even the strikers worked hard to protect them. Paul Jones had one great save in goal, one outstanding moment, but he was comfortable for the rest of the match.”

Strachan pointed out it was only the second time he had beaten United with Alex Ferguson, his former boss at Old Trafford, as their manager. “I think we beat them 3-2 when I was at Coventry and Darren Huckerby got a brilliant winner. We had two great strikers then, with Dion Dublin as well and we could have two great strikers here now.

“It’s a bit too early to say what the partnership between Beattie and Kevin Phillips will achieve, but they looked superb on the opening day of the season. They both scored at Leicester but after then we had two blanks and people began to wonder. But they’ve both got four years on their contracts so we’ve plenty of time to judge them.

“Obviously I’m very pleased with this result which means that the season has finally started for us. It makes the three previous draws looks half decent.”

SOUTHAMPTON: Jones, Dodd, Lundekvam, Michael Svensson, Le Saux, McCann (Marsden 61), Oakley, Telfer, Fernandes (Anders Svensson 85), Beattie, Phillips (Ormerod 76).

MAN UTD: Howard, Gary Neville, O’Shea, Silvestre, Phil Neville (Fortune 89), Giggs, Keane, Djemba-Djemba (Butt 77), Kleberson (Ronaldo 67), Forlan, van Nistelrooy.

Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).