Andy Cole equalised six minutes from time to spare Manchester United's blushes
against Bolton at Old Trafford.
The champions were on course for what would have been their fourth league
defeat in five matches after relegation-threatened Bolton took the lead through
Bob Taylor.
But United finally shook themselves from their slumbers and their pressure
paid off when Cole bravely headed home his 21st goal of the season.
United then laid siege to the Wanderers' goal and in the final minute Gary
Neville crashed a shot off the woodwork.
Before the delayed kick-off, the players and fans of both sides paid tribute
to the victims of the Munich air crash on the day after the 40th anniversary of
the disaster.
Eight wreaths - one for each of the United players who died in the tragedy -
were laid in the centre circle and a minute's silence was perfectly observed.
United were keen to produce a good performance in their own tribute to the
Busby Babes and the match exploded into life.
In a frantic first two minutes Teddy Sheringham, making his first start in
four weeks after fully recovering from his calf injury, hit the post, while
Peter Schmeichel saved Nathan Blake's shot with his legs.
On six minutes Cole turned and fired past the post before Taylor headed Scott
Sellars' cross wide.
Cole latched on to Andy Todd's poor back header on 18 minutes, but lifted his
shot over the bar.
Five minutes later, Cole set up Ryan Giggs outside the area only for him to
shoot straight at Keith Branagan.
Branagan produced a great save a minute later to keep out Cole's angled
pile-driver and from the resultant corner he gathered a Sheringham effort.
David Beckham then went agonisingly close with a shot from the edge of the
area, which went just past the post.
United were not firing on all cylinders and time after time the final ball was
going astray. Without the suspended Nicky Butt in the middle of the park,
Beckham and Giggs tucked in more, which left United short of width on the
flanks.
The crowd of 55,156 was exactly the same as watched United sink to their first
home defeat against Leicester last Saturday.
As half-time approached the match increasingly became littered with mistakes
as move after move broke down.
Gary Pallister nearly let in Blake with a weak back pass and as Schmeichel
cleared the ball it came off the Bolton striker and fell to Taylor, but he
failed to capitalise on the chance.
On 57 minutes Taylor fired over from Blake's deep cross. But Bolton took the
lead with a soft goal on the hour when Taylor challenged Schmeichel for Jamie
Pollock's cross and as Gary Neville dithered, Taylor reacted quickest to stab
home his first goal since joining Wanderers on loan from West Brom.
United boss Alex Ferguson changed tactics when he replaced Sheringham with
Henning Berg.
Berg slotted into the heart of the defence while Phil Neville pushed into
midfield as United switched from a 4-3-3 formation to a 4-4-2 line-up.
The ploy almost worked straight away as Branagan produced a great save to deny
Cole what looked like a certain equaliser.
Just like last week, United went forward in search of an equaliser and on 80
minutes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Giggs went close.
Two minutes later Gary Neville was left holding his head in his hands after he
fired over from a great chance.
Worse was to follow for United when Cole rose to connect with a header only to
see the ball come off the inside of the post with Branagan beaten.
But just as it seemed United would end the match with nothing, Cole headed
home from close range to send the home fans wild end
Teams
Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin, Pallister, Beckham, Cole,
Sheringham (Berg 67), Giggs, P. Neville, Scholes, Solskjaer.
Subs Not Used: McClair, Van Der Gouw, Clegg, Twiss.
Booked: Sheringham, Pallister, Berg.
Goals: Cole 85.
Bolton: Branagan, Cox, Thompson, Todd, Fairclough, Bergsson,
Pollock, Sellars, Frandsen, Blake, Taylor (Holdsworth 81).
Subs Not Used: Ward, Johansen, Sheridan, Aljofree.
Booked: Todd, Sellars, Bergsson.
Goals: Taylor 60.
Att: 55,156
Ref: S J Lodge (Barnsley).
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