Late drama leaves Fergie fuming

THE accusations were once again flying after another intense battle between the bitter rivals.

“We never get anything from the referee really. You don’t always get decisions here anyway,” said Alex Ferguson.

The Manchester United manager was responding to a question on whether he thought Dirk Kuyt’s late winner was offside. For the record, Kuyt was not and United do get their fair share of favourable decisions from match officials.

But at least the potentially explosive meeting finished with handshakes all round on the pitch this time.

Even Patrice Evra, who found himself on the wrong side of Dirk Kuyt when the Dutch striker fired Liverpool’s dramatic winner two minutes from time, fulfilled his responsibilities as United’s captain at Anfield by offering his congratulations to the opposition at the end of battle.

No sooner had the match ended than Luis Suarez, serving the seventh leg of an eight-match ban for racially abusing Evra in October, was busy on twitter.

“Very happy and proud of my teammates,” wrote the Liverpool striker, who witnessed the game with his young family from the main stand. “For giving this joy to the fans who were spectacular.”

Spectacular might have been over doing it.

“There’s only one lying b*****d,” the Liverpool supporters had sung in response to the chant “Always the victim, it’s never your fault” from where 6,000 United fans were gathered.”

Evra was booed with every touch. Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool captain, was also called some unpleasant names.

The atmosphere, in the first half at least, was toxic.

By the end, Anfield was bouncing. Having hit a low at Bolton seven days earlier, the Carling Cup finalists were in the last 16 of the FA Cup despite spending the long spells of the tie on the defensive.

There were positives everywhere for Liverpool. Daniel Agger, whose first Liverpool goal for almost two years put his team ahead before Park Ji-Sung’s equaliser, was tireless along with Martin Skrtel.

But what about Andy Carroll? The much-maligned striker did not even make the pitch for United’s previous visit. He was on it from start to finish this time and it was his crucial touch which presented Kuyt with the opportunity to beat David de Gea in front of the Kop with two minutes remaining.

“I think I’m just getting into my stride now,” said Carroll, scorer of six goals in 36 appearances since signing from Newcastle 12 months ago.

“Everyone is getting used to how I play and I’m getting used to everyone else. But everyone is helping me and now I just need to get going.

“Winning in midweek and getting to the Carling Cup final and then Manchester United coming here, beating them and getting through, it’s a great feeling.

“It was disappointing against Bolton and we needed to put that right. We did that against Manchester City and then with Manchester United coming here, all the lads were buzzing and I think it showed that everyone was up for it.

“We’ve had two great wins and we need to carry that form to Wolves on Tuesday and against Tottenham next week.”

Anfield is fast becoming a graveyard for United. Ferguson’s team have now failed to win on their last five visits.

Yet they will still be wondering this morning how they did not at least force a replay. They were without Wayne Rooney and Nani, amongst many others, because of injury yet the 37-year-old Ryan Giggs and the much-maligned Michael Carrick still dominated in midfield while Antonio Valencia was denied by a post.

“I don’t know how we lost it,” said Ferguson. “It was a really good performance from us.

“That can happen in the FA Cup though — you can have one bad break against you and you lose the game. It’s a sudden death situation which we’ve experienced many times over the years and anything can happen.

“It’s a bad blow though because we didn’t deserve that.

“I’m pleased with my players. They performed very well, dominated the game and played good football. They didn’t deserve to be beaten at all. We maybe should have won the game — we were the better team.

“But that’s FA Cup football I’m afraid and it’s not the first time it’s happened. To lose it is a devastating blow.”

LIVERPOOL: Reina 7, Kelly 7, Agger 8, Skrtel 8, Carragher 7 (Kuyt 63, 7), Enrique 7, Henderson 7, Gerrard 7 (Bellamy 72, 6), Rodriguez 7 (Adam 63, 6), Downing 7, Carroll 8.

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea 6, Rafael 6, Evans 6, Smalling 6, Evra 6, Valencia 7, Giggs 7 (Berbatov 90, 2), Park 7, Carrick 7, Scholes 6 (Hernandez 76, 4), Welbeck 6.

Referee: Mark Halsey 6.