Irwin's nerve holds to keep United in hunt

Manchester United 2

Southampton 1

As the Premiership trophy slipped from their grasp, Manchester United reached out again last night to ensure the destination of the championship will not be decided until the final day of the season. It was a desperately close thing.

With nine minutes remaining and with Southampton seemingly comfortable in their role of spoilers (in effect if not attitude), the title seemed to be going to Blackburn Rovers for the first time since 1914. Then United were given a penalty when hope of a winner was evaporating fast.

Denis Irwin played a ball into the area and as Andy Cole stretched to shoot he was tugged by Ken Monkou. The referee awarded the foul and as South-ampton's players seethed and Old Trafford hushed in expectation Irwin, possibly the one cool head in the ground, calmly hit the penalty into the corner of the net.

At that moment champagne bottles were returned to refrigerators all over Blackburn. The result means that United, two points behind but with a better goal difference, must beat West Ham United at Upton Park on Sunday and hope that Blackburn fail to defeat Liverpool at Anfield for the champions to claim their third successive title. The prize conceded by their manager, Alex Ferguson, a month ago is still there for the taking.

"There have been plenty of twists this season," he said. "Let's hope there's another on Sunday. Denis was the best player in the club to take the penalty. He has a terrific temperament."

The penalty was made by Cole's pace and it was some night for the £7m striker, whose girlfriend gave birth to a boy an hour before kick-off. To cap his night he also got United's first goal, his 12th in 16 starts since his move from Newcastle United.

But if it was Cole's night it was very nearly Southampton's, who battled mightily for a team with nothing to gain except glory. They attacked at every opportunity and stretched United's resolve to the limit. Indeed, if Gordon Watson had not squandered a 12th-minute opportunity when the home team were 1-0 down and creaking, the championship would probably already be at Ewood Park.

The parameters of this match were drawn in the eighth minute when Southampton took the lead. Watson found Jim Magilton with a clever pass and when his chip was halted by Peter Schmeichel's finger tips, Simon Charlton stooped to head in at the far post. It was the first goal conceded by the United goalkeeper at Old Trafford for 13 months.

United's response was a tidal wave of attacks. Gary Pallister hit a post with a 16th-minute header from Lee Sharpe's corner and Cole mishit a volley after Dave Beasant's punch had given him a chance on the edge of the area. Mark Hughes, too, was just wide.

Southampton also had almost slipped under the cover of this bombardment to grab a second, Watson shooting wide from Le Tissier's pass, but the sheer ferocity of the United attacks was likely to pound a hole in the Southampton defence and after 21 minutes they equalised.

Brian McClair crossed from the left, Hughes dived and missed but when the ball rebounded off a defender he was able to scoop the ball back to Cole. From 10 yards with a defence in disarray a £7 man would have had a chance, never mind a £7m striker, and he duly scored his 12th goal in 16 starts for United.

Ferguson added later that he was confident Liverpool will provide more than passive resistance against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday. "To suggest otherwise would be a disservice to a club which has won 18 titles," he said. "They know better than anyone how hard it is to take championships. Their history and tradition makes it unthinkable that they wouldn't try."

Manchester United (4-4-2): Schmeichel; G Neville, Bruce, Pallister, Irwin; Butt, McClair, Ince, Sharpe; Hughes (Scholes, 76), Cole. Substitutes not used: Beckham, Walsh (gk).

Southampton (4-4-2): Beasant; Dodd, Hall, Monkou, Benali (Heaney, 57); Le Tissier (Widdrington, 76), Maddison, Magilton, Charlton; Watson, Shipperley. Substitute not used: Grobbelaar (gk).

Referee: P Danson (Leicester).

Making of a manager, page 38