Defender Titus Bramble criticised referee Rob Styles for the penalty award that could cost Ipswich a lucrative top-flight place, and declared: "Decisions like that change lives."

Ipswich were holding Manchester United at Portman Road with half-time approaching, when Ruud van Nistelrooy crumpled to the ground after patently little contact with Bramble as they battled to reach a cross.

Referee Styles pointed to the spot and the Dutchman recovered to convert a penalty which keeps United's title hopes alive but leaves Ipswich staring in the face of relegation, that would cost them around £10 million.

Van Nistelrooy defended his reputation, insisting: "I wanted to head the ball and I think I wasn't able to because of the Ipswich defender.

"The referee was four metres behind me and he saw it was a clear penalty. The way I felt it, it was."

However, Bramble insisted that he made no deliberate contact with the United striker and called Styles' decision-making skills into question.

"I've seen that referee on television a few times before and he's not one of the best referees," he declared.

"When I watch the match again on television, I'll just be thinking that could have got us relegated.

"There's so much at stake that it changes lives. So to lose to a goal like that is so frustrating.

"It has killed us really. The referee was 25 yards away, looking through a crowd of bodies and couldn't really see.

"He said I pushed him but I just stood my ground. I just turned my body to watch the ball go out of play and van Nistelrooy fell over.

"I don't think he dived, his legs just got tangled up and the referee has given a penalty for that.

"I tried to ask him why and he just booked me, which was silly really.

"When you're down at the bottom, things often don't seem to go for you whereas they do for the top three teams."

If they are now to stay up, Ipswich must beat Liverpool at Anfield in their final game, while counting on relegated Derby to defeat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

It is an unlikely scenario, but Bramble insisted: "We went to Liverpool last season and won so there's no reason why we couldn't do that again.

"We have the character to do it. Hopefully Derby will also beat Sunderland."

Despite the controversy over the penalty, United still created the better chances, with van Nistelrooy missing two other openings, while Diego Forlan also came close and Roy Keane hit the bar.

Sir Alex Ferguson may have fielded a virtual reserve side apart from Keane and van Nistelrooy, but this is a second-string XI that could probably finish mid-table in the Premiership.

Ipswich's best chances fell to Marcus Bent, who headed an early cross narrowly wide, and Tommy Miller, who came just as close late on as he rolled a shot just past the far post.

Their loyal supporters still gave them a standing end-of-season ovation but, despite a run in Europe, this has been a frustrating campaign at odds with the incredible progress made the year before.

Relegation, if it comes, will ensure cutbacks have to be made, although on-loan midfielder Sixto Peralta is still hoping to secure a full-time move to Portman Road.

"I am happy here and the club know that. But the financial position will change if we go down," he admitted.

"All the players feel so sorry for the club as it's such a good club with spectacular fans. We didn't play well this season but we still have one game left.

"We will just try to win and hope Sunderland lose. Liverpool are one of the best teams in Europe but maybe the title race will be over for them by then."