Blackpool: Dimitar Berbatov scored a dramatic late winner as Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Blackpool 3-2 in a thrilling Premier League contest on Tuesday.
United, unbeaten all season in the league, looked to be heading for a stunning defeat at the hands of the promoted club after Craig Cathcart and DJ Campbell gave the home side a 2-0 lead at halftime.
But Berbatov pulled a goal back for the Premier League leader in the 72nd minute, Mexican striker Javier Hernandez came off the bench to equalize two minutes later and Berbatov struck the winner in the 88th to complete the comeback and secure a remarkable victory for Alex Ferguson's men.
Victory left United five points clear of second-place Arsenal and six clear of neighbor Manchester City, which has played a game more. Chelsea, in fourth place, is 10 points adrift.
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway had done his best to play down expectations of the club's first league meeting with United for 40 years, claiming he would be happy if his side were not two goals down after 10 minutes and presenting Ferguson with his customary bottle of wine before the game.
Once the whistle went though, United was shaken out of its stride by the hosts, whose enthusiasm knows no bounds and for whom Charlie Adam, putting his transfer request and interest from Liverpool to the back of his mind, was outstanding.
It was Adam's accidental clash with Patrice Evra that forced the Frenchman off the field and meant he was out of position when he returned as the Blackpool skipper swung in his first fateful corner.
Still, there was no excuse for United's total failure to track Cathcart's run.
Tipped for big things by the Old Trafford hierarchy until injury intervened, Cathcart rose unchallenged and powered a header past a motionless Edwin van der Sar.
The veteran Dutchman was also stood still when Nemanja Vidic turned a diving header straight into his chest when he had been aiming to clear.
It was an example of the confusion within the visiting ranks.
Elliot Grandin scooped a 12-metre effort over the bar and David Vaughan brought an excellent save out of Van der Sar, which as it turned out, only staved off Blackpool's second by half a minute.
Again Adam took the corner. Dropping it into roughly the same place. This time Darron Gibson got his head to it but only succeeded in turning it to Campbell, who bundled home at the far post to send the home supporters into delirium.
It was no surprise that Ferguson replaced Gibson with Giggs at half-time and Blackpool's hopes of astonishing victory would have been raised further if Luke Varney had been granted the penalty he was convinced should have been awarded when Rafael sent him tumbling.
As it was, United took inspiration from Hernandez's introduction for an out-of-sorts Wayne Rooney.
The Mexican has come up with a few vital goals already in his debut season and he nearly had another when he streaked clear of the Blackpool defence.
But keeper Richard Kingson took the pace off his shot, allowing Cathcart's incredible evening to continue with a goal-line clearance.
United was on a roll though, and when Darren Fletcher crossed a couple of minutes later, Berbatov was on hand to tap United back into the contest.
Within two minutes, it was all-square as Giggs' magnificent chip sent Hernandez sprinting through.
Having let Blackpool off the hook once, the striker was not keen on doing it again and this time finished with calm assurance.
United were not finished. Even the departure of Rafael on a stretcher that required 10 minutes injury time failed to halt their momentum.
And when Scholes sprayed a magical pass to Berbatov, the Bulgarian blasted home his fifth goal in four days to seal an unlikely win.
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