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| Berba Blasts United Ahead |
The stunning comeback win at Bloomfield Road extends United's lead at the top of the table to five points over Arsenal, and somehow extended their Barclays Premier League unbeaten streak to 28 games.
As predicted, Sir Alex Ferguson recalled Rafael to the starting line-up at right-back, however, Rio Ferdinand missed out on his second straight match with a groin injury, so Chris Smalling kept his place alongside of Nemanja Vidic in central defense.
Sir Alex chose to counteract Blackpool's offensive philosophy at Bloomfield Road with a very positive 4-3-3 formation, but the manager opted to completely change midfield with Paul Scholes, who made his first start in just over two months, partnering Darron Gibson and Darren Fletcher in place of the injured Michael Carrick, Anderson and Ryan Giggs.
Recap
In their first match in 36 years, the match started out with United being a bit careless on the ball with multiple misplaced passes in the early going.
United started finding their feet on the greasy surface, and a dangerous passing combination with Gibson, Rooney and Patrice Evra saw the Reds carve the home defense apart, but the ball was cleared for a corner.
Gary Taylor-Fletcher played in a very good ball, but Edwin van der Sar did well to get down and smother the chance and deny Luke Varney a sniff at making any sort of contact with the ball.
Evra was then caught by an arrant elbow from Charlie Adam, who has had a transfer request this week, and he required some attention from the United physio.
While Evra was getting attention from the United physio, Blackpool went into the early lead when Craig Cathcart headed home Adam's well-placed corner kick.
It is the fourth time by three different players that United have given up a goal to one of their former reserve team player - Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and Jonathan Spector (2) back in November.
United's lack luster performance was underlined that their first shot was an adventurous long-range shot from Gibson on the 20th minute mark, which took a deflection for a corner to the Reds.
United were almost caught again, and it took an unexpected save from van der Sar to save Vidic's header that was going into his own net.
The Seasiders were putting United on the back foot, and the Reds should have been two down, but Eliot Grandin blasted well over the bar from the middle of the area.
Blackpool were not content sitting on it, and pressing United with real determination, which was causing United some serious troubles, and Sir Alex was forced to shuffle his formation.
Adam found Varney wide open on the left-hand side of the United box, and it needed a telling deflection from Vidic to pop the ball over the bar - and that was a major warning for the Reds.
The first save that Richard Kingson made was in the 34th minute from another shot from distance by Gibson, who was now playing on the left side of the United midfield.
It was clear that United needed some sort of spark, and they almost got it from Rafael when the little Brazilian rose highest to head the ball towards the Blackpool net, but Kingson clung onto the shot well.
David Vaughan was given way too much and he drove a left-footed shot a very good parry save from van der Sar, but it went out for a Blackpool corner, and United paid for it.
Amazingly, DJ Campbell evaded his marker and headed home yet another Blackpool corner to give the Tangerines a two goal advantage late in the first-half.
United were beginning to show their frustration as both Scholes and Gibson earned their way into Peter Walton's notebook for two poor challenges.
The halftime whistle came with the home fans in complete jubilation, and the Ferguson desperately needing to make changes to his side in the second-half.
The second-half got underway with Ryan Giggs being introduced for Gibson, but it did not stop the home side from nearly increasing their lead.
Evra and Vidic were both left for dead and it took a very good clearance from Rafael to deny Blackpool their third goal.
In a two minute span, United could have cut the deficit in half, but Rooney and Nani both had their shots blocked out for corner kicks.
Then there was a contentious moment for United after Rafael body-checked Varney in the box, but the replays show that Walton used the right judgment to not award Blackpool a penalty.
The young right-back then had a chance of his own to get forward, but his swerving shot was well saved by Kingson, but the Blackpool goalkeeper went down injured after his leg got caught in the skeptical playing surface.
In the 64th minute Rooney laid the ball into the path of Scholes, but the midfielder's stinging shot was directly at Kingson, who palmed it away for a United corner.
Nani then played a teasing ball to the far post, but it was poorly hit by Giggs and went behind for a goal kick.
Sir Alex introduced young Javier Hernandez for Rooney in a straight forward change to add more pace to the United attack.
Ian Holloway then made a change himself bringing on Matt Phillips for Varney to hopefully add more pace to their own counter attack.
Following a skeptical free-kick, Giggs' delivery was cleared out to Scholes, who put his foot through the ball, but it caromed off.
In the 69th minute, Kingson came up huge with a point blank one-on-one save against Hernandez, which was then cleared off the line by Cathcart.
Finally, United pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute through Berbatov.
Nani skipped passed his defender and slipped the ball to Fletcher, who then squared it to Berbatov to stick home from close range.
Marlon Harewood came on for Taylor-Fletcher in an attack-minded change to add more height and power to the Seasiders' attack.
Out of nowhere Hernandez peeled away from his defender to get on the end of Giggs' lofted pass to slide the ball passed Kingson to draw United level, which gave the Reds all the confidence get all three points from the match.
Rafael headed a Blackpool cross clear, but Harewood's fair attempt to win the ball saw him clash into the back of the full-back's head, which saw the youngster requiring immediate attention from the medical staff and eventual stretchered off.
The unfortunate stoppage in play allowed Sir Alex to make his third change of the match bringing on Anderson for Rafael to keep the United momentum going, and pushed Fletcher to right-back.
Completely amazing, United turned the game on its head and it was the man with the golden touch a few minutes before the end of regular time.
A delightful ball from Scholes picked out Berbatov's run, and the Bulgarian blasted home at the near post passed Kingson.
The look of despair now showed clearly on Holloway's face, but it set up a very nervy finish to the match as United went looking for their fourth and Blackpool went searching for the equalizer.
Due to the injury to Rafael and all of the substitutions, Peter Walton added a minimum of ten minutes of injury time to be added.
United had a very good chance when Giggs' arching cross was met by Hernandez, but he could not direct it on target as it went begging for a touch across the face of the Blackpool goal.
Holloway was seen trying to give his team the boost they needed to get an equalizer, but it was United who created the next chance.
United should have really killed off the game in the fifth minute of injury time when Giggs picked out Chicharito again, but his header was right down the middle and Kingson claimed it easily.
Another driving run from Giggs created another half chance for United, but a Blackpool leg denied the ball going into a dangerous area and Kingson was able to collect the bouncing ball in the six-yard box.
Blackpool were doing their best to conjure up some sort of chance to get them back level, but some timely clearances by the Manchester United denied them and clung on for all three points for dear life.
Matchball
Ryan Giggs came on as a halftime substitute to spark United to come from behind to snatch the unlikeliest of wins against Blackpool.
Ratings
E. van der Sar - 6; Rafael - 6 (Anderson - 6), C. Smalling - 5, N. Vidic - 6, P. Evra - 6; P. Scholes - 5, D. Gibson - 4 (R. Giggs - 8), D. Fletcher - 6, Nani - 5, W. Rooney - 5 (J. Hernandez - 7); D. Berbatov - 7
Goals
D. Berbatov (72'), ()87'), J. Hernandez (74')
Statistics
Possession: 58%
Corners: 8
Shots (On Target): 24 (10)
Fouls Conceded (Suffered): 10 (13)
Bookings: P. Scholes, D. Gibson
Attendance: 15,574
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