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I can't believe we threw it away - Fergie

Sir Alex Ferguson bemoaned defensive lapses as Manchester United opened the door for Manchester city © Getty Images

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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was in a state of shock after witnessing his side twice give away a two-goal lead against Everton, calling the 4-4 draw a "travesty".

United appeared to be cruising when leading 3-1 and then 4-2, but Nikica Jelavic bagged his second of the game to give the visitors hope before Steven Pienaar's late equaliser blew the title race wide open.

"It was a throw away, an absolute giveaway," Ferguson told Sky Sports. "We just needed to see the game out. It's a travesty - some of the football we played was fantastic, the goals we scored were great goals. To give away four goals at Old Trafford, in a game of such importance, I can't believe it."

City closed the gap to three points with victory at Wolves later on Sunday, and Ferguson admitted United have gifted their neighbours a great chance to get back into the title race.

"We've given them initiative, it makes the game at the Etihad Stadium [on April 30], the really important game, a decider now. We'll have to go there knowing we're capable of getting a result.

"We need to get a result at the Etihad, there's no reason we can't do that. There's sort of been an expectancy from City that it's their decider, but it's our decider too."

When asked whether the game against City a week on Monday will be the most important derby game he's ever been involved in, Ferguson added: "Yes definitely. Game on."

Opposite number David Moyes was thrilled by his side's response to last week's FA Cup semi-final defeat against local rivals Liverpool. "It was absolutely brilliant, the effort they put in,'' Moyes said.

"We came here to win the game because we've felt hard done by lately, and the players didn't half put a show on today. I've only ever gone into any game to try to win it but the emphasis was big today.

"We lost a big game last week and today was a chance, in another big game, to stop people thinking our season is over. I don't think at any time we deserved to be two down. We knew it would be a gung-ho game and the finishing, the goals we scored were very good, but United scored some good goals as well.''

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