Referee Martin Atkinson blew the final whistle on 96 minutes 58 seconds after the rags second favourite Scouser scored on 95 minutes and 28 seconds…
The rival managers give their reaction to the 4-3 derby…
Taggart, magnanimous as ever:
‘What can you say. We have thrown three goals away at them. It could have been an embarrassment today. It could have been six or 7-0 if we had defended our proper way, our normal way, we could have won by a big score today.
‘But making mistakes was an essence of the game it became the best derby game of all time. So what do you choose? One of the best derby games of all time or win 6-0?’
‘We have a neighbour, and sometimes neighbours are noisy, but we showed our power today and we get on with life.’
Mark Hughes, seething but proud:
‘The board had gone up for four minutes of additional time at the same time as Craig Bellamy made it 3-3.
‘The additional time after the four minutes didn`t sit comfortably with me. We feel aggrieved. Everyone in the stadium knew the time allotted. I would like an explanation why more was added on but I rather doubt that I will get it. The fourth official said time was added because of our goal celebration but that lasted only forty-five seconds.’
(Fourth official Alan Wiley was seen on TV gleefully joking with Taggart as the united manager pointed to his watch after The English Patient hit the winner.)
‘What is really upsetting is that we have no tangible reward for a huge effort and that other people played a hand in the result.
‘It is a bit raw at the moment to see any positives but we will pick the bones out of the match and be ready to go again on Wednesday in a competition that is important to us. We can’t dwell on this or feel sorry for ourselves.
‘We showed great quality at times, especially to come back three times in the manner that we did. I was disappointed with all the goals that we gave away and that we allowed ourselves to be penned back at times. We had to deal with too many balls into our box for my liking but Craig Bellamy scored two magnificent goals and we kept coming back at United.
‘We dug deep and we were spurred on by our great backing and I am sorry for them that we didn’t take at least a point from the match. We have to be more bloody minded but more than anything I am disappointed that we haven’t got the reward that our efforts deserved.’
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