It wasn't looking very likely at halftime, when Manchester United were down 2-0 against a rampant Blackpool, but Sir Alex Ferguson's side have somehow both retained their unbeaten record and emerged from Bloomfield Road with all three points, with a brace from Dimitar Berbatov and a clinical finish by Javier Hernandez overcoming header goals by Craig Cathcart and DJ Campbell for Blackpool. United, who were at one point down 2-0 with fifteen minutes to go, looked like winning as soon as Berbatov closed the gap with a close range volley, and from then on were all over a tired Blackpool, who never really looked like scoring again or pulling level despite ten(!) minutes of added time.
Blackpool FC Vs. Manchester United: Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez Seal Dramatic Win For United
The rather ridiculous amount of injury time was due to an unfortunate incident which saw United’s Brazilian right back Rafael da Silva go off on a stretcher with a concussion, but that wasn’t his only major contribution to the game - he also quite clearly fouled Luke Varney in the box while the home side was still up 2-0. Had a penalty been given, the game’s trajectory would undoubtedly have been dramatically changed.
Despite the controversy surrounding the penalty appeal, Manchester United were ultimately full value for their win. Although they had a dismal first half and their defending was never fantastic, the introduction of Ryan Giggs at the beginning of the second half gave their attack a vital spark, and in Berbatov and Hernandez they had two forwards more than capable of taking their chances. Blackpool will feel aggrieved to have lost after keeping their guest out for so long, and I'm sure Ian Holloway will have plenty to say about that penalty not being given, but they ultimately paid the price for falling apart at the back.
United go back to five points clear at the top of the table, while Blackpool miss their opportunity to rise to 7th, instead remaining firmly in the bottom half of the table.
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