Everton rally to draw 4-4 against Man United

Manchester: Steven Pienaar grabbed a late equalizer as Everton salvaged a stunning 4-4 draw at Manchester United on Sunday to halt the defending champion's title charge.

Wayne Rooney equalized against his former club with a header in the 41st after Nikica Jelavic's 33rd-minute opener, and Danny Welbeck and Nani scored after halftime to put United 3-1 up.

Marouane Fellaini made it 3-2 with a 67th-minute volley, but United seemed to be cruising to victory when Rooney scored his second in the 69th.

But in a dramatic finish, Jelavic pulled a goal back in the 83rd and Pienaar leveled with an 85th-minute finish.

"It's a throwaway, an absolute giveaway," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "We just needed to see the game out and it's a travesty because some of our football was fantastic."

The result left United six points clear at the top of the Premier League, with second-place Manchester City visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers later on Sunday.

A win for City against Wolves would re-ignite the title race ahead of the crosstown rivals' clash at City's Etihad Stadium the following Monday night.

"We've given them (City) the initiative, no question about that," said Ferguson, who blamed uncharacteristic defensive lapses for the dropped points. "It makes the game at the Etihad a really important game — it makes it the decider, really."

Everton manager David Moyes was delighted with the spirit his side showed.

"Absolutely brilliant," he said. "The players didn't half put a show on today, they really did."

Everton, looking to recover from the disappointment of losing to crosstown rival Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinals a week ago, started brightly, with Fellaini stationed behind Jelavic to pressure the United midfield.

"We lost a big game last week and today was a chance in front of the telly and playing another big game to stop people thinking that our season is over," Moyes said.

Winger Leon Osman was at the center of Everton's early creativity, releasing Jelavic in the fifth minute, only for United 'keeper David De Gea to smother the shot.

Everton deservedly took the lead when Tony Hibbert swung a deep cross into the box from the right. Jelavic looped a header over De Gea and into the far corner for his seventh goal since joining Everton in January.

Ferguson was visibly fuming on the bench and United almost hit back a minute later when Paul Scholes' shot following a corner ricocheted off bodies in the box and was grabbed desperately by Everton's American goalkeeper Tim Howard on the goal line.

United had a penalty appeal turned down when Osman seemed to clip Rafael Da Silva in the 38th, but finally leveled when Nani stepped inside his marker and centered for Rooney to head home from close range.

United looked more comfortable after the break and went in front when Welbeck stepped inside John Heitinga and curled his shot into the top corner from the edge of the box in the 57th.

Nani added the third goal three minutes later, when slick interplay with Welbeck and Michael Carrick released him to lift a delicate finish over Howard.

Everton refused to surrender however and Fellaini reduced the deficit with a neat volley from Hibbert's cross.

Rooney notched his second just two minutes later, sweeping into the net from Welbeck's pass for his 26th league goal this season, taking him past former greats George Best and Dennis Viollet on the club's all-time list.

However, that was still not enough for United. After Evra hit the post with a diving header, Jelavic again put the result in doubt when he capitalized on confusion between Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand in United's defense to make it 4-3.

With the clock ticking down, Pienaar completed the comeback with a close-range finish from Fellaini's pass.