United catch Liverpool on the hop

Liverpool 1 Man United 2

It was a poignant afternoon as the hosts marked the report exonerating them from blame for the Hillsborough tragedy with a simple ceremony which included United ambassador Bobby Charlton handing over a bouquet of flowers to Reds legend Ian Rush.

The worry was that not only could the pre-match events spark some ugly chanting by United followers, but could also dampen the rivalry on the pitch and after a timid opening, that appeared it might be the case as a pulsating encounter ended with United taking a hard-fought win.