Malcolm Christie grabbed a point for Derby with a 77th-minute equaliser against Manchester United at Pride Park but the match ended in controversy when the striker had an injury-time winner disallowed.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men seemed to be heading for their 13th Premiership win in 14 matches when Juan Sebastian Veron fired home in the 59th minute.

But Christie, who got the Rams off to a flyer with a seventh minute opener, turned in Luciano Zavagno's left-wing cross to cap a stirring Rams performance.

And he thought he had won it in injury-time when Barthez parried Branko Strupar's shot into his path. Christie nicked the ball from Barthez in the box and turned it in, only for referee Dunn to award a foul against the young striker.

Christie could have completed his hat-trick earlier when, four minutes from time, Barthez went walkabout on the edge of the box and had to clatter into the Derby frontman to prevent him from lofting a shot towards an empty net.

The Rams players and fans screamed for a penalty but when the dust settles on a magnificent match few at Pride Park will be unhappy with a point.

Christie had struck early when Fabrizio Ravanelli knocked on Pierre Ducrocq's ball into the box and the striker kept his nerve to fire past Barthez.

United, with Roy Keane nursing a knee injury which excluded him from the new contract party, pulled back level five minutes from half-time when Ruud van Nistelrooy fed Ryan Giggs on the left and he pulled the ball back for Paul Scholes to convert the simplest of chances.

Then Veron's low 59th-minute strike appeared to have extended United's run at the top of the table.

United had piled on the pressure in the second period and the Rams were indebted to goalkeeper Andy Oakes, who pulled off a series of last-ditch saves to keep the Rams in the game.

In December Sir Alex Ferguson's men were being written off for the title but a 5-0 win over the Rams at Old Trafford sparked the run which brought their season back from the brink.

And it is a measure of Derby's improvement under John Gregory that they should match the champions for swathes of the first period, grabbing their early lead when Fabrizio Ravanelli laid off the ball for Christie to sweep his first goal of the afternoon.

The Rams had survived a close call in the third minute when David Beckham's free-kick caught the home defence unaware and van Nistelrooy nipped in to head narrowly wide under pressure from Oakes.

Derby responded with a concerted spell of pressure, with Christie's shot from the tightest of angles bundled out of the goalmouth by Mikael Silvestre, and Barthez punching away a corner from Paul Boertien.

After Christie's opener Kinkladze almost increased Derby's lead in the 16th minute when he was fed by Ravanelli on the right and curled a powerful shot around Silvestre which flashed just across the face of goal.

Then United had two chances in a crowded goalmouth at the other end, Ryan Giggs' shot blocked by Barton and van Nistelrooy's follow-up booted clear by former United man Danny Higginbotham.

In the 22nd minute Solskjaer cut in from the right and beat Luciano Zavagno but saw his close-range shot roll across goal and deflect off the post to safety.

Van Nistelrooy had another chance on the half-hour after again finding space in the box, his powerful right-foot volley from Giggs' cross sailing just high of the target.

Then Ducrocq was set up by Kinkladze and hammered a rising 20-yard shot which Barthez parried more dramatically than was perhaps necessary.

Veron's goal early in the second half cranked up the pressure on the Rams and Oakes was at his best to deny Beckham and van Nistelrooy.

His best save came in the 53rd minute when the Dutchman turned 22 yards out and tried a snapshot which Oakes parried just wide of the target.

With Giggs outstanding the Rams were clinging on until Christie's second set up the grandstand finish which almost resulted in a stunning victory to a team who, on this form, have plenty of relegation fight in them yet.

Teams

Derby Oakes, Barton, Zavagno, Riggott, Higginbotham, Ducrocq (Morris 63), Kinkladze (Elliott 82), Lee, Boertien, Ravanelli (Strupar 74), Christie.

Subs Not Used: Foletti, Valakari.

Booked: Ducrocq, Zavagno.

Goals: Christie 8, 77.

Man Utd Barthez, Irwin (O'Shea 84), Gary Neville, Johnsen, Silvestre, Beckham, Scholes, Veron, Giggs (Forlan 80), van Nistelrooy, Solskjaer.

Subs Not Used: Carroll, Butt, Phil Neville.

Goals: Scholes 41, Veron 60.

Att: 33,041

Ref: S Dunn (Bristol).