Title race wide open as Man Utd lose

Portsmouth inflicted only the fourth Premiership defeat of the season for Manchester United with Matt Taylor’s opportunist first-half strike and Rio Ferdinand’s comical own-goal.

And even a tap-in reply by John O’Shea on 90 minutes could not put a smile on Alex Ferguson’s face as his team’s lead at the top was cut to three points after Chelsea’s lunchtime win.

O’Shea’s goal robbed Pompey goalkeeper David James of a record 142 Premiership clean sheets but the keeper sealed the points with a stunning save from substitute Alan Smith right at the death.

Wes Brown defended well to prevent Taylor getting in on another fine low cross by O’Neil and then Van der Sar held Davis’s shot from 25 yards.

Then Giggs forced another save from James after United’s third substitution brought Alan Smith into the game for Carrick.

The Pompey fans could smell another glorious victory and Ferdinand confirmed it with a sad own goal in the 88th minute.

Kranjcar and Taylor combined to send LuaLua chasing into the area. Ferdinand got there first but turned the ball past his advancing goalkeeper.

Stoppage time had just started when James spilled a Solskjaer shot and John O’Shea poked in the loose ball to spoil the keeper’s record attempt to complete 142 Premiership clean-sheets.

But James was the hero again stopping Smith’s goalbound shot right at the end.