Manchester United kept their Premier League title hopes alive as Paul Scholes headed home a dramatic last-gasp winner to secure a 1-0 derby victory over City at Eastlands.
Patrice Evra's left-wing cross was headed past Shay Given by veteran Scholes with less than a minute of the allotted three minutes of added time to play.
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Referee Martin Atkinson, who had taken charge of the reverse fixture at Old Trafford last September and controversially played over six minutes of added time when only four were indicated by fourth official Alan Wiley, was a late replacement for Steve Bennett after Bennett found himself marooned in Romania at a referee's conference after the Icelandic volcanic eruption disrupted European air traffic.
Thankfully there was little controversy to discuss in a scrappy game which was more about returning players and missing players than refereeing decisions.
Dimitar Berbatov, Nani, Federico Macheda, Rio Ferdinand, and John O'Shea missed out for United, while Evra, Johnny Evans, Darron Gibson, and Darren Fletcher all came in, along with Wayne Rooney.
Rooney looked short of match fitness after his return from an ankle injury, but the visitors still edged the first half on attempts on goal.
Antonio Valencia was the chief architect of several United chances as he seemed to have the beating of Wayne Bridge, who was himself returning from a lay-off after a hernia operation.
Two late chances laid on by Valencia were wasted by first Rooney and then Giggs as City failed to take control of midfield and their three forwards, including an overawed Adam Johnson, rarely tested Edwin Van der Sar and failed to profit from the possession they had.
United didn't seem to be missing the injured Rio Ferdinand, while City's best first-half chance came from a Carlos Tevez free-kick which forced Van der Sar into an acrobatic save as it sailed towards the top corner.
Second-half chances for Bellamy and Nigel De Jong went to waste as City tried to raise their game, but a pair of gilt-edged chances for Nedum Onuoha and Tevez during a goalmouth scramble six minutes from time were repelled by Nemanja Vidic within the six-yard area.
Meanwhile Bridge could only force a comfortable save in the closing minutes before Scholes struck the hammer blow.
Source: DSG
