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Middlesbrough hold EPL leader ManU to a 2-2 draw
Published on Sun, Apr 06, 2008 at 23:25, Updated at Mon, Apr 07, 2008 in Sports section
Tags: Soccer, English Premier League , London
WHITE WASH: Snow falls during the English Premier League match between Middlesbrough and Manchester United at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough.
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London: Wayne Rooney scored an equaliser and Manchester United hit back for a 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough on Sunday which cut their standings lead to three points.
After second-place Chelsea's 2-0 victory at Manchester City on Saturday, the Red Devils needed to win at the Riverside and took a 10th-minute lead through Cristiano Ronaldo. It was his 37th goal of the season in all competitions.
But Afonso Alves struck twice for his first goals for Boro only for Rooney to deny the home side an upset victory with a 74th-minute goal.
The result means United have a three-point lead over Chelsea and six over third-place Arsenal, who drew 1-1 at home to fourth place Liverpool. United host Arsenal next Sunday.
"I've said for a while the most consistent team would win and we have to maintain that consistency that we've shown these last few weeks," said United manager Alex Ferguson.
"We've got a point today from what I look upon as a difficult fixture. There were periods when I thought we were going to win it but, in the context of the whole game I thought it was a fair result."
"I thought it was a fantastic game of football, the pace of the game was terrific and you've got to give credit to our opponents. If we had scored a second goal (at 1-0) I think we would have gone on to win it."
In Sunday's other Premier League match, fifth place Everton edged relegated Derby 1-0 with a 56th minute goal by Leon Osman.
In a meeting of two League Championship sides, Cardiff beat Barnsley 1-0 at Wembley for a place in the FA Cup final on May 17.
They will meet Premier League side Portsmouth, who edged West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in Saturday's semi-final match.
Joe Ledley scored the only goal in the ninth minute as Cardiff returned to the final for the first time since they won the trophy in 1927, the only Welsh club to do so.
At Middlesbrough, in a thrilling, high-quality game with snow falling at the Riverside, the score could easily have been 2-2 by halftime.
After Ronaldo's 30-meter (yard) free kick had been deflected over the bar, Boro failed to clear the corner and Michael Carrick found the winger unmarked with a low cross from the left.
Ronaldo struck the ball first time into the roof of the net with his left foot from 12 meters for his 27th league goal.
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