Sir Alex Ferguson birthday |
Yakubu Aiyegbeni scored his twelfth goal of the season from the penalty spot when Christopher Samba was tugged down by Dimitar Berbatov within the sixteenth minute, and added a second to additional stun the house crowd six minutes when half-time.
Within just twenty three seconds of Yakubu's second, Berbatov finished clinically along with his head from shut vary to cut back the deficit, and also the Bulgarian doubled his tally ten minutes later to draw United level.
But Blackburn weren't to be denied as United's defence was breached yet again. David De Gea floundered crucially as Grant Hanley beat the hapless Spaniard to a Morten Gamst Pedersen corner and headed into an empty web to clinch a shocking and unbelievable victory for Kean's men.Wayne Rooney wasn't even named on the bench by birthday boy Sir Alex Ferguson as Javier Hernandez and Berbatov were partnered along in attack, whereas Rafael and Phil Jones came in defence. Blackburn were missing injured couple David Dunn and Junior Hoilett from the aspect that drew at Liverpool on Boxing Day.
The match was preceded by a choir rolling out a rather surreal rendition of Happy Birthday in tribute to Ferguson - seventy these days - and it absolutely was a really quiet begin to the primary 0.5 with a subdued atmosphere as United dominated the possession for no reward.
The hosts were shocked within the fifteenth minute as Berbatov hauled down Samba within the United box with a poor piece of defending at hand Rovers a shock penalty. The ever composed Yakubu sent De Gea the incorrect manner with a cool end, and Blackburn assumed the lead.
Jones thought he had restored parity against his former club within the twenty seventh minute as he stole in to fireside an attempt from shut vary that looked to be headed for very cheap corner of cyberspace, just for defender Hanley to create a timely intervention with a pointy block.
Two minutes later, Hernandez went agonisingly near levelling the scores with a pointy flip to evade the tight marking of Samba and fireplace a fierce drive towards the so much post, however the ball fizzed narrowly wide with goalkeeper Mark Bunn scrambling desperately across his line.
Bunn made a fine save down low to his left to deny Nani on the stroke of half-time because the winger planted a snap shot on the right track from an acute angle and, remarkably, the boos that rang out because the half-time whistle was sounded were from the United fans.
But simply six minutes once the break, Rovers additional shocked their hosts with a second goal from nothing: Steven Nzonzi's innocuous throw-in was picked up by Yakubu, who proceeded to power through 2 challenges and drill an emphatic end beyond De Gea.
Rovers have dropped fourteen points from winning positions this season - over the other team within the Premier League - and despite United's previously sluggish and lethargic build-up play, there was an air of inevitability regarding the comeback that was to follow.
Just twenty three seconds once Yakubu's second, United scored their one,500th Premier League goal: Rafael's cross from the correct wasn't properly cleared, and Berbatov was accessible to stoop and head the ball beyond Bunn from shut vary to scale back his side's arrears.
Blackburn were once more punished within the 62nd minute because the jet-heeled Antonio Valencia zipped past Adam Henley down the correct and cut the ball back to Berbatov, who kept his composure and side-footed the ball beyond Bunn to web his sixth goal in 5 games.
The guests continued to use a fearless complete of counter-attacking soccer, and United terribly nearly conceded a 3rd within the 74th minute as Hanley beat De Gea to satisfy Pedersen's corner from the correct however his glancing header drifted fractionally wide.
It was a warning United failed to heed. Blackburn restored their lead in dramatic fashion as defender Hanley capitalised on some appalling goalkeeping from De Gea to move Pedersen's corner into an empty web and silence the house fans.
The victory was solely Blackburn's third victory of an inauspicious campaign as Kean secured a famous win to spoil Ferguson's birthday celebrations and ease the relentless pressure on his tenure, whereas for United the possibility to quickly usurp Manchester town at the highest of the table was squandered.