Owen's stoppage time winner clinches win over CityAssociated Press
MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Michael Owen struck six minutes into stoppage time to give Manchester United a dramatic 4-3 victory over Manchester City on Sunday, halting the crosstown rival's perfect start to the Premier League season.
United had thrown away the lead three times after blunders at the back - the last coming when Rio Ferdinand gifted the ball to Craig Bellamy for his second goal of the game in the 90th minute.
"We made three horrendous mistakes, mistakes you don't even half associate with our team and it kept them in the game," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "I am unhappy because it spoiled what could have been a really emphatic victory. We could have won by six or seven today. It's probably the greatest derby game ever."
While Wayne Rooney had got United off to the best possible start with a goal inside two minutes, goalkeeper Ben Foster committed the first calamity to allow City striker Carlos Tevez, returning to Old Trafford following his offseason move from United, to set up Gareth Barry's equalizer.
Fletcher headed the Premier League champions briefly back in front at the start of the second half, but Tevez provided the ball for Bellamy to make it 2-2.
Bellamy was on target again after Fletcher nodded in another in the 80th minute, but Owen chose the perfect time to score his first goal for United at Old Trafford and vindicate manager Alex Ferguson's gamble on the 29-year-old forward.
"It was always going to create a little bit of noise me moving to Man United," said Owen, who joined after his Newcastle contract expired. "Even if they didn't take to me it's still a privilege to play in a team like this. It hasn't sunk in (scoring)."
After four successive wins, it was the first time City had dropped points since $200 million was spent strengthening the squad over the offseason.
City's Tevez, was predictably jeered in marked contrast to the outpouring of support from United fans on his last appearance here in May. Despite those "Fergie sign him up" chants, Tevez rebuffed a permanent deal to cross the Manchester divide.
The Argentina striker had been a doubt but passed a fitness test on Sunday morning on a knee injury sustained on international duty two weeks ago.
Initially, he had to operate as the lone striker in front of a five-man midfield as Emmanuel Adebayor, who had scored in each of City's opening four wins, started a three-match suspension for his stamp on Robin van Persie last weekend.
City was trailing with 1 minute, 55 seconds on the clock.
Micah Richards had made a crucial challenge to halt Rooney's advance. But the defending wasn't as sharp when Ryan Giggs took the resulting throw in, and Patrice Evra cut the ball back to Rooney, who brushed off challenges from Kolo Toure and Nigel de Jong to fire in his sixth goal of the season.
Despite United being in the ascendancy, Foster gifted City an equalizer. Foster, who had looked uneasy in the opening exchanges, was slow to react when Joleon Lescott's deep ball landed on the edge of the penalty area.
As Foster attempted to usher the ball into the area he was tackled by Tevez who then squared the ball to Barry and the England midfielder dispatched the ball into the net with only Nemanja Vidic to beat on the line.
The equalizer jolted United, whose early superiority had waned and Tevez was denied a goal on the stroke of half time by the post.
United started the second half as strongly as the first, with Giggs, playing in his 30th derby, crossing from the left and Fletcher rose above Barry at the far post to head beyond Shay Given.
The lead lasted less than three minutes. Tevez was again the provider, spotting Bellamy in space, the Welshman advanced and then curled the ball past Foster into the far top corner from the edge of the area.
Within minutes Park was replaced on the right by new recruit Antonio Valencia.
Given pulled off three superb saves in quick succession, with lightening reactions blocking two headers from Dimitar Berbatov and turning over Giggs' effort.
Fletcher was on target again after meeting Giggs' free kick with a far-post header.
City had twice come close in the final minute, but a mistake by Ferdinand enabled Bellamy to gallop forward and beat Foster from a tight angle.
A point looked to be City's until Giggs fed Owen, who replaced Berbatov in the 78th, to produce the winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time. City manager Mark Hughes immediately complained to the fourth official that the four minutes of announced stoppage time had expired, but to no avail.