• Premier League

Ferguson fumes over Bowyer equaliser

ESPN staff
December 28, 2010
Edwin van der Sar disputed Lee Bowyer's equaliser © PA Photos
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Sir Alex Ferguson fumed at referee Lee Mason after Lee Bowyer's late equaliser was allowed to stand in Manchester United's 1-1 draw at Birmingham.

Bowyer pounced to cancel out Dimitar Berbatov's opener, but replays suggested Nikola Zigic had climbed on Rio Ferdinand and handled in the build-up to the goal. Ferguson predictably had his say post-match, insisting his side had been robbed of two points.

"It was handball, there was a foul on the centre half...he went right through the back of him. If the ref can't see that what chance have you got?" Ferguson said on Sky Sports.

"That's where we expect them to get a referee who sees that. If you can't see that, what chance have you got? We deserved to win the game, we were the better team."

Alex McLeish predictably had a different view of the incident, insisting it was accidental handball.

"He wasn't offside, definitely not. It does look as if it came off Zigic's arm but I don't think he plays it deliberately off his arm...it's a melee," summarised the Birmingham boss.

"It would have been harsh to be penalised as deliberate handball. In other words, I don't care."

Bowyer has now scored goals against Chelsea and United this season, and he admitted the result felt like a victory.

"Any time you play the top sides, especially here, and come back from behind it's always an achievement," Bowyer said. "It's rolling back the clock a bit for me. I've done it my whole career, nicked goals, and I think I'll do it until I retire.

"We worked really hard and I think we deserved it, but they had a lot of possession."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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