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00:00Manchester United were still looking to go top of the Premier League in mid-December 1998
00:05A win would take them there, but they were up against the newly promoted Middlesbrough who were doing well in the top flight
00:11Brian Robson's Borough were unbeaten in 10 matches, but were looking for their first win at Old Trafford in nearly 70 years
00:18Dwight York was out with a groin strain, so Teddy Sheringham came in to partner Andy Cole up front
00:24Jaap Stam had been struggling with an ankle injury, so he was rested
00:28Gary Pallister had spent nine years as a Manchester United player
00:32Now he returned with Middlesbrough, with whom he'd started his career
00:36Paul Gascoigne was suspended, so Neil Maddison came in
00:39But Brian Dean had passed the late fitness test, and Gianluca Festa was back from injury
00:44It was an emotional day for several in the Borough camp
00:47Brian Robson was a United legend, while his management team of Viv Anderson and Gordon McQueen had also starred at Old Trafford
00:54Your match commentator is John Champion
00:59It's a long time since Middlesbrough have arrived at Old Trafford in such good form
01:04Unbeaten in 10 Premier League matches, it's their best run in the top division for nearly 50 years
01:13However, this is not a ground where they've been particularly successful
01:17Their last win at Old Trafford was in 1930
01:23Very strange to see the dugout occupied by someone other than Alec Ferguson
01:29Jim Ryan on duty today with the Manchester United manager attending to family business in Scotland
01:41Middlesbrough with Hamilton-Ricard
01:46Off the outside of the boot and wide
01:48He's been in prolific form this season, Ricard
01:5012 goals already
01:58It's raining steadily
02:03Jim Ryan didn't actually pick the team, but he delivered the team talk
02:13Townsend
02:18Dean Gordon
02:22Masto
02:23Ricard
02:24Nicely away from Butt, and he'll have a go
02:29And that's what comes from scoring so frequently, the confidence to have a pop from
02:35The thick end of 30 yards out
02:43Masto
02:45Middlesbrough playing with those three central defenders today
02:51And here comes Colin Cooper up from the back
02:55Townsend
02:57Now Gordon
03:01Side flag is raised against Brian Dean this time
03:03Brian Dean this time
03:12There have been some frustrations in recent weeks in the Manchester United camp
03:16They've drawn their last three in the Premier League
03:20They've gone five without a win in all competitions
03:24Just one victory in their last eight outings
03:29The biggest frustration of all comes from the fact that in their last four games
03:32They've led in each of them, but been pegged back to draw all four
03:39Here's Sheringham
03:43And within the compass of Mark Schwartzer
03:47An Australian goalkeeper who continues to impress between the posts for Middlesbrough
03:52And a brief spell at Bradford City
03:54Before that he was in Germany with Kaiserslau
04:02Middlesbrough
04:09Keane
04:10But
04:17Middlesbrough
04:18Regaining possession, this is Masto looking for Ricard
04:21Ronnie Johnson got the shout from Schmeichel
04:26Irwin
04:28There's Giggs
04:29Look at that from Masto
04:33Those three former Manchester United men on the Middlesbrough coaching staff have ensured that
04:37Their players are really up for this
04:41Here's Cole
04:43Passed Mikkers
04:44Passed the post
04:54Struck it nice and firmly
04:59McQueen
05:01Leeds and Manchester United centre back alongside Brad Robson there
05:09Here's Roy Keane
05:15Sheringham
05:17Giggs
05:20Again it was Masto snapping in and then Gordon likewise
05:25Here's Beckham
05:28Slipped as he was crossing
05:31Back to back
05:39Some sides wither when they come to visit Old Trafford
05:43Intimidated by it
05:44There's no sign of that from Middlesbrough today
05:46Not yet anyway
05:52Gordon
05:54Oh and there's Dean
05:55And Ricard
05:57What a horrible mess for Manchester United
06:01But what a super moment for Middlesbrough
06:05It's the Colombian
06:06Hamilton Ricard
06:09Gary Neville couldn't get there
06:12Schmeichel barely got his fingers to it
06:15And it was a gift for Ricard
06:1823 minutes played
06:22And arguments
06:23Amongst the Manchester United back line
06:27Former Manchester United midfielder
06:29Has prepared his team very well for this
06:32And Jim Ryan the caretaker for the day
06:35Faces problems
06:39Gary Neville
06:41Sheringham
06:44Right of him is Beckham
06:48Last time that Manchester United lost to an English Premier League team
06:52Here at Old Trafford
06:54Back in March
06:55It's nine months since Arsenal won here
07:02Dean
07:06Beckham
07:09Good play by Schwarzer
07:11Grateful that Cole didn't get a near post touch
07:19One thing Middlesbrough are sure of
07:20Is that Manchester United will hit back strongly
07:28Ricard
07:30Away from Phil Neville
07:36It's rare to see Manchester United looking so uncertain at the back
07:41No yaps down today of course because of ankle trouble
07:44Doesn't help
07:45Townsend
07:47Maddison to Musto
08:02Nuggets
08:08Street on his right
08:10Nicky Buck couldn't get there
08:12Dean Gordon did
08:13It's a corner
08:20Manchester United a long way from clicking yet
08:24Problems at both ends
08:35But
08:40Don't fall too easily
08:44Ricard
08:52Gary Neville seemed to impede him
09:04Andy Townsend over the ball
09:07Andy will deliver the cross
09:09Comes to Gordon
09:18Well this is unreal
09:21Manchester United
09:23Two down at home against Middlesbrough
09:31And Dean Gordon won't strike many more impressive volleys than that
09:39Barely a flicker from Robson but inside
09:43He must be thrilled
09:48Beckham
09:50Crowd stunned into comparative silence
09:5455,000 in the crowd today
09:56You wouldn't know it from the noise level
09:57Here's Sheringham
09:58There's Giggs
10:01Something to liven the crowd up a bit
10:05Good delivery from Sheringham
10:08They're only a matter of a foot or so wide
10:13There's a threat in the air Ryan Giggs
10:16All this wizardry with his feet
10:19Make a collection from the glums
10:36Beckham
10:38Here's Keane
10:46Giggs
10:50And again
10:55Middlesbrough holding firm
10:56Colin Cooper with the nod behind
10:59Middlesbrough have only had a couple of impressive away results this season
11:03Perhaps their best before today
11:05A draw at Arsenal
11:07One apiece at Highbury
11:12Giggs
11:16Beckham
11:29It's telegraphed
11:34There's no great sign of the expected Manchester United comeback
11:38Not yet
11:39Here's Beckham though
11:49Such are the powers of recovery in this Manchester United team
11:52They've shown them time and again that they will still fancy their chances
11:55Even at nil-two
11:58Beckham
12:02Beckham
12:03Philip Neville outside
12:05Giggs sprinting through the middle
12:08Cleared by Steve Vickers
12:19Middlesbrough not missing the suspended Paul Gascoigne it seems
12:22Midfield axis of
12:24Musto, Townsend and Maddison
12:26Coping well with Keane and company
12:29But
12:44Well six days short of Christmas this is turning into an early gift
12:48For Middlesbrough who cannot have imagined that they would be leading 2-0 at half-time
12:54There's no Alec Ferguson to rouse the Manchester United troops
12:57That task falls to Jim Ryan today
12:59In the manager's temporary absence
13:02Hamilton-Ricard with the opening goal
13:04And then that stunner of a volley from Dean Gordon
13:06In the thirty-first minute
13:08Giving us the most unlikely scoreline
13:11At half-time here at Old Trafford
13:13It is Manchester United nil
13:15Middlesbrough two
13:18Middlesbrough's travelling supporters already in the festive spirit
13:24Aided by the current scoreline
13:27And this on a ground where they've not won for sixty-eight years
13:35Gary Neville for Manchester United
13:38Picking out Dennis Irwin
13:40His butt
13:47And to your right is a throw
13:50I wonder whether the tone of Jim Ryan's half-time team talk was
13:53The same as his bosses normally would be
13:57How is the crockery down there?
14:05Beckham
14:07Left Philip Neville with an awful lot to do
14:09And here comes Dean Gordon
14:12And Beckham couldn't make the tackle either
14:18Go in!
14:22And Gary Neville is leading the inquest there
14:27And he towns it
14:33Andy Cole
14:36Is sharing him
14:39Beckham wants it
14:43Cole's in the middle, so's Giggs
14:46There's Vickers
14:53Keane
15:05Cole
15:06Philip Neville
15:07Neville
15:12He's in the back for Neville from Ricard who caught him
15:16Keane
15:17To Gary Neville
15:22Giggs
15:25Not quite with Cole
15:29Manchester United not getting the ball into wide positions as frequently
15:32As they normally would hope to
15:34Delivering the crosses on which Cole and Sheringham tend to thrive
15:39And giving the ball away far too frequently
15:42Here's Ricard
15:44Oh and now Brian Dean!
15:47It's three!
15:50And the man who scored the first ever Premier League goal
15:53Against Manchester United
15:55Back in 1992 for Sheffield United
15:58Has just helped to create a stunning scoreline
16:01For Middlesbrough
16:03Six years on at Old Trafford
16:07This sort of thing just doesn't happen
16:10The Premier League champions in four of its six seasons
16:13Trail 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough
16:21And there's the architect of it
16:24The man who has prepared his team perfectly
16:34Giggs
16:35Taking on Gianluca Festa
16:38Manchester United need something very quickly
16:42And then they need something else and something else
16:44That's a measure of their task
16:47Philip Neville
16:50Beckham
16:51And Burks!
16:54That's a crisp header
16:56That's more like the Manchester United we know
16:59Super cross from Beckham
17:03And that's header
17:04Across the goalkeeper, Schwarzer
17:09Still half an hour to play
17:18Beckham
17:20Nice shape on that
17:21There's Giggs!
17:22Well we knew it already but
17:23David Beckham's delivery
17:25When he gets in those wide positions
17:29Is without peer
17:35Beckham looks less than pleased to be replaced
17:40He's providing some of Manchester United's better ammunition
17:45Paul Scholes
17:46The man who has prepared his team perfectly
17:48He's providing some of Manchester United's better ammunition
17:51Paul Scholes has come on instead
17:59Giggs
18:05Gary Neville
18:08Nicky Butt
18:11And Scholes!
18:13He will get into goal scoring positions
18:16Maybe why Jim Ryan has decided to throw him on instead of Beckham
18:26Gordon
18:30Deane
18:35It's holding on around Gary Neville
18:37Gary Neville
18:43He's going to have some explaining to do when Alec Ferguson returns from Scotland
18:52Scholes
18:55And he's got
18:56Here's Cole on the spin
18:58And Scholes!
19:00Now they can say they're back in business
19:08That's why he was sent off
19:10At an airing iver goal
19:13It's the scoring rate from midfield that many strikers would be proud of
19:18And suddenly Middlesbrough's lead which was 3
19:21Is down to 1
19:38Key
19:42Butt
19:43Scholes
19:44Cole
19:47Sheringham
19:48Giggs
19:50Nice and neat
19:52And there's Cooper for Middlesbrough
19:54Middlesbrough
20:06Still the rainfalls
20:09Sheringham got a touch
20:10They appeal for handball
20:12Came out to Solskjaer who couldn't get a shot away
20:24Manchester United will come again
20:27Let's look at the pattern
20:30Scholes
20:32Here's Cole
20:35Too far in front of Solskjaer this time
20:45Sheringham
20:47Giggs
20:51Straight at Schwarzer who
20:52Just for a moment
20:55Let it slip
20:59Dangerous thing to do with so many red shirts in close proximity
21:03Forward
21:12Schwarzer
21:13Was under some pressure and now Manchester United could be in
21:16It's Cole
21:17Should he have passed
21:19Sheringham
21:21Was one of those in support
21:23There were others
21:25They were all better placed
21:28And whilst it was a good save by Schwarzer
21:31If Cole
21:32Had chosen to use the support that was there
21:35Then the goalkeeper
21:36Would have been helpless
21:40Scholes
21:42Chelsea
21:52Keane
21:56Manchester United
21:58Have drawn their last three in the Premier League
22:00They take a draw today
22:01That's for certain
22:02Here's Nicky Butt
22:04Side netting
22:12And the clock is not Manchester United's friend here
22:16And there's no manager
22:18Not in their cause at least to
22:20Tap vigorously in the direction of his watch
22:22And remind the referee
22:28Solskjaer
22:31Irwin
22:34Giggs
22:37It's a corner
22:42Goal
22:47And they're throwing everyone forward
22:48Even Schmeichel has made a late dash
22:52Did score in a European game against Volgograd here
22:57They could do with a repeat
23:00As we move into stoppage time
23:04All or nothing for Manchester United
23:07Ronnie Johnson got close to it
23:09Part of it
23:10Giggs, Schmeichel still forward
23:14Scholes can't
23:15Get his foot on the ball
23:16And the referee Gary Willard has blown his whistle
23:22Steve Vickers
23:23Is the player down
23:26And back goes Schmeichel
23:41Whistles
23:43From the visiting supporters
23:45Here's Scholes
23:47Sharing him
23:48Keane
23:53It's now or never
23:58Irwin
24:01No distance from Fester
24:03Now Cooper can intervene
24:05He just needs to get it clear
24:10Is that enough for Middlesbrough
24:13Still more defending to be done
24:16It's been one way for the final 20 minutes
24:19But Middlesbrough's hold on this game
24:22Established with that three goal lead inside an hour
24:25Has proved sufficient
24:27And Brian Robson has taken advantage of his old manager's absence today
24:32To record a notable win
24:34Brian Dean with the decisive goal
24:36One minute shy of the hour
24:39Nicky Budds
24:40And Paul Scholes
24:42Pulled goals back for Manchester United
24:44But too little
24:45Too late
24:46Middlesbrough have won at Old Trafford
24:48For the first time
24:49Since 1930
24:52Manchester United 2
24:53Middlesbrough 3
24:55It certainly was a Christmas cracker
24:57It was also Manchester United's first home defeat in 20 games
25:01Sweet success for Middlesbrough
25:03Who moved to within a point of them
25:05As a result
25:06It helped Brian Robson's side to a very respectable 8th place
25:10In their first season back in the Premier League
25:12Manchester United duly reasserted their dominance
25:15And ended the season as English Premier League champions once again
25:19But this particular December afternoon
25:21Belonged to the burrow