West Ham 2 Manchester United 2
thesun
MANCHESTER UNITED were beaten up by man-of-the-match Andy Carroll.
But Dutch master Robin van Persie dragged his side off the canvas to grab a point as they stumbled on towards the title.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce felt robbed, complaining bitterly about the equaliser.
Van Persie was in an offside position when Shinji Kagawas shot struck both posts before he smashed it in.
For his part, Alex Ferguson was whingeing about the way Carroll flattened David De Gea and Patrice Evra at a corner, insisting the Hammers striker should have seen red.
And the United manager was simply incredulous when told Van Peries equaliser was offside.
Not surprisingly he had not seen that.
Assuming Manchester City win all their remaining games, United need six points from their last five matches to clinch a 20th title.
And it could come at Arsenal should they beat Villa next Monday.
United were given a real test with Carroll dominant and no doubt impressing watching England boss Roy Hodgson.
Hodgson will not have been so pleased by Wayne Rooney. He was poor and got subbed with 19 minutes left.
It is too easy to stereotype West Ham as a long-ball team but they are better than that they have power and quality.
Yes, they use Carroll and get balls into him but they also mix it up.
And Mohamed Diames goal which put them 2-1 ahead would have done justice to the greatest teams in the world.
The Hammers have made a good job of their return to the top-flight.
They have never flirted with relegation and are finishing the season well having lost only one of their last six league games.
If they back Allardyce in the transfer market in the summer who knows what can be achieved.
Whether that team will include Carroll is open to conjecture.
The more the on-loan Liverpool man puts in performances like this, the more Anfield fans will wonder why they should not keep a striker they bought for £35million.
West Ham have an agreement to buy him for £17m but do not want to pay that.
Whatever happens Carroll is showing the football world he is no flop.
He played a major part in West Hams opener in the 16th minute. Matt Jarvis got away down the left and picked out Carroll who knocked it back for Ricardo Vaz Te to stoop and head in.
United have won more points than anyone else in the league this term from a losing position.
And sure enough they equalised in the 31st minute.
Van Persie played in Kagawa and he beat Winston Reid before squaring to Antonio Valencia who scored from three yards.
Carroll managed to flatten two United men as he tried to head in a corner, ploughing into De Gea and Evra.
Fergie was not happy with Carroll and had a good old rant at fourth official Andre Marriner before heading down the tunnel at the break.
Keeper De Gea was pig-sick of Carroll and as he caught a cross he wrestled over the big Geordie before dropping the ball.
Nolan smacked it into the net but ref Lee Probert had blown for a foul and booked Carroll.
Diame re-established West Hams lead on 55 minutes.
Guy Demel found Diame who turned Rooney before whipping an absolute scorcher inside the far post.
Jussi Jaaskelainen was called on to deny Rooney and Van Persie as West Ham came under increased pressure.
Off came Rooney and on went 39-year-old Ryan Giggs to add fresh if rather ageing legs.
And it was not long before United were back on terms in the 77th minute.
Kagawas shot hit both posts before an offside Van Persie fired in from a tight angle.
In scoring, he inflicted more pain on West Ham having grabbed the only goal in the league win at Old Trafford and the late equaliser in the FA Cup third-round tie at Upton Park.
Manchester Citys win over Wigan closed the gap on United but they will not be too perturbed. The title is in the bag.
DREAM TEAM STAR MAN ANDY CARROLL (West Ham)
WEST HAM: Jaaskelainen 6, Demel 7, J Collins 7, Reid 6, OBrien 6, Diame 8, Nolan 6, ONeil 6, Vaz Te 7, Carroll 8, Jarvis 7. Subs: Noble (ONeill 67) 6, Taylor (Nolan 82) 6, Collison (Diame 82) 6. Subs not used: Henderson, C Cole, Maiga, Pogatetz. Booked: Carroll.
MAN UTD: De Gea 6, Rafael 6, Ferdinand 6, Vidic 6, Evra 6, Valencia 7, Carrick 6, Jones 6, Kagawa 7, Rooney 5, Van Persie 5. Subs: Giggs (Rooney 71) 6, Hernandez (Kagawa 78) 6. Subs not used: Amos, Evans, Nani, Welbeck, Cleverley.
REF: L Probert 7.
But Dutch master Robin van Persie dragged his side off the canvas to grab a point as they stumbled on towards the title.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce felt robbed, complaining bitterly about the equaliser.
Van Persie was in an offside position when Shinji Kagawas shot struck both posts before he smashed it in.
For his part, Alex Ferguson was whingeing about the way Carroll flattened David De Gea and Patrice Evra at a corner, insisting the Hammers striker should have seen red.
And the United manager was simply incredulous when told Van Peries equaliser was offside.
Not surprisingly he had not seen that.
Assuming Manchester City win all their remaining games, United need six points from their last five matches to clinch a 20th title.
And it could come at Arsenal should they beat Villa next Monday.
United were given a real test with Carroll dominant and no doubt impressing watching England boss Roy Hodgson.
Hodgson will not have been so pleased by Wayne Rooney. He was poor and got subbed with 19 minutes left.
It is too easy to stereotype West Ham as a long-ball team but they are better than that they have power and quality.
Yes, they use Carroll and get balls into him but they also mix it up.
And Mohamed Diames goal which put them 2-1 ahead would have done justice to the greatest teams in the world.
The Hammers have made a good job of their return to the top-flight.
They have never flirted with relegation and are finishing the season well having lost only one of their last six league games.
If they back Allardyce in the transfer market in the summer who knows what can be achieved.
Whether that team will include Carroll is open to conjecture.
The more the on-loan Liverpool man puts in performances like this, the more Anfield fans will wonder why they should not keep a striker they bought for £35million.
West Ham have an agreement to buy him for £17m but do not want to pay that.
Whatever happens Carroll is showing the football world he is no flop.
He played a major part in West Hams opener in the 16th minute. Matt Jarvis got away down the left and picked out Carroll who knocked it back for Ricardo Vaz Te to stoop and head in.
United have won more points than anyone else in the league this term from a losing position.
And sure enough they equalised in the 31st minute.
Van Persie played in Kagawa and he beat Winston Reid before squaring to Antonio Valencia who scored from three yards.
Carroll managed to flatten two United men as he tried to head in a corner, ploughing into De Gea and Evra.
Fergie was not happy with Carroll and had a good old rant at fourth official Andre Marriner before heading down the tunnel at the break.
Keeper De Gea was pig-sick of Carroll and as he caught a cross he wrestled over the big Geordie before dropping the ball.
Nolan smacked it into the net but ref Lee Probert had blown for a foul and booked Carroll.
Diame re-established West Hams lead on 55 minutes.
Guy Demel found Diame who turned Rooney before whipping an absolute scorcher inside the far post.
Jussi Jaaskelainen was called on to deny Rooney and Van Persie as West Ham came under increased pressure.
Off came Rooney and on went 39-year-old Ryan Giggs to add fresh if rather ageing legs.
And it was not long before United were back on terms in the 77th minute.
Kagawas shot hit both posts before an offside Van Persie fired in from a tight angle.
In scoring, he inflicted more pain on West Ham having grabbed the only goal in the league win at Old Trafford and the late equaliser in the FA Cup third-round tie at Upton Park.
Manchester Citys win over Wigan closed the gap on United but they will not be too perturbed. The title is in the bag.
DREAM TEAM STAR MAN ANDY CARROLL (West Ham)
WEST HAM: Jaaskelainen 6, Demel 7, J Collins 7, Reid 6, OBrien 6, Diame 8, Nolan 6, ONeil 6, Vaz Te 7, Carroll 8, Jarvis 7. Subs: Noble (ONeill 67) 6, Taylor (Nolan 82) 6, Collison (Diame 82) 6. Subs not used: Henderson, C Cole, Maiga, Pogatetz. Booked: Carroll.
MAN UTD: De Gea 6, Rafael 6, Ferdinand 6, Vidic 6, Evra 6, Valencia 7, Carrick 6, Jones 6, Kagawa 7, Rooney 5, Van Persie 5. Subs: Giggs (Rooney 71) 6, Hernandez (Kagawa 78) 6. Subs not used: Amos, Evans, Nani, Welbeck, Cleverley.
REF: L Probert 7.
