A LATE own goal from David Unsworth preserved Manchester United's 20 month unbeaten home record at Old Trafford last night, but United's great comeback was clouded by the behaviour of manager Alex Ferguson after the match.

The English FA will today call for an immediate referee's report after Ferguson had to be restrained by his assistant Brian Kidd and head of security at Old Trafford Ned Kelly as he moved towards match referee Graham Poll at the final whistle.

Ferguson wanted to know why the Hertfordshire official had played only three minutes of added time in the second period.

"Can anybody tell me why they give referees a watch?" fumed the United boss. "It's certainly not to keep the time. That was a Mickey Mouse one.

"Time keeping should be taken out of the referees' hands. In the modern day game they are just not able to keep up with the speed of it and do it properly. There should be a time keeper and everybody seems to say that now. Tonight was a perfect example of why.

"I said to Neville Southall after the game that he had wasted 10 minutes and he said that he needed that time at his age. There's nothing wrong with wasting time, if you can get away with it, but it's the referee's job to stop it. He spent two minutes running towards Neville. It was pathetic, really pathetic."

Poll added two minutes in the first half and over three in the second, but while Ferguson thought not enough time had been played, Everton counterpart Joe Royle believed the referee had allowed too much. "We didn't have the trainer on in the entire game and yet he played 97 minutes," said Royle. "I can't understand that."

But Ferguson's after match outburst could not take from an enthralling game. Everton's first half double from Duncan Ferguson looked to have sent the champions crashing to their first Old Trafford Premiership reverse in the 31 games since they were beaten by Nottingham Forest in December 1994.

However, Jordi Cruyff dragged United back into the game in front of a Premiership record crowd of 54,943 when he marked his home debut with a super header from Nicky Butt's 70th minute centre.

And with United finally beginning to believe in themselves, they grabbed a point eight minutes From time.

Denis Irwin found space on the right and his cross deflected off John Ebbrell to head towards goal. Unsworth had to go for it, but his effort to clear the ball only succeeding in turning it into his own net.

That seemed excitement enough, but in time added on both sides should have won it. First Ferguson allowed Schmeichel to save low to his right; then Speed squandered a great opening; and right at the death Cruyff squeezed a shot wide.

Early in the game Everton had been on the back foot but after Graham Stuart headed wide of a gaping net in the 26th minute they took control with two in six minutes.

Barrett's failure to run down the right forced the mercilessly booed Kanchelskis' hand, although when he turned the ball in to Ferguson, with his back to goal and Gary Pallister behind him, there seemed little danger.

That was counting without Ferguson's skill, as the giant Scot took one touch to find a bit of space and then unleashed a leftfooter on the turn from 18 yards that flew in.

It was the first league goal Schmeichel had conceded at Old Trafford in 1996, but in the 41st minute there was another, and this time the Dane had to take the blame.

Admittedly, Ferguson did well to chest down to Gary Speed, and Hinchcliffe even better with his first time cross, but Schmeichel should have claimed the ball. His mistimed leap saw the ball elude him, and Ferguson, more alive then David May, had a simple task to head down and into the vacant net.

Ferguson the manager acted at the break, sending on Brian McClair for Poborsky with David Beckham moving out to the right. After Hinchcliffe had struck the bar with a free kick Neville Southall demonstrated his brilliance to somehow deny Giggs when he met Beckham's excellent cross six yards out.

How vital that was shown in the 70th minute, when Cruyff rose high to meet Butt's centre 14 yards out to power the ball into Southall's top corner to set up the late drama.