Soccer: Kiko seizes the day

Just when it seemed Manchester United's season was to unravel a little more, a goal of historic proportions came from another of the academy prodigies whom Sir Alex Ferguson keeps receiving and whom Rafael Benitez, much to his fury, does not.

If 17-year-old Federico Macheda - known as "Kiko" to his teammates and unknown to pretty much everyone else - never scores again at Old Trafford, his extraordinary 93rd-minute goal, securing a 3-2 win over Aston Villa and taking United back to the top of the table, assigns him a permanent place in United folklore.

It also delivers serious momentum back to Ferguson's side, who seemed doomed to lose three successive league matches for the first time since 2001 until Cristiano Ronaldo, taking himself to the top of the Premier League scorers' table, began an improbable fightback.

Ronaldo scored twice but the day belonged to Macheda. The teenager later revealed that he had been due to fly out to join the Italian Under-18s until Ferguson indicated that, with Wayne Rooney suspended and Dimitar Berbatov injured, he would be needed for United's bench yesterday, instead.

When his moment arrived, he seized it, looking penetrative before spinning past Luke Young and unleashing his winner in the 93rd minute of play.

What had Ferguson's instructions been? "Just play simple, play, just play," he replied, with a grin as wide as the Irwell, before captain Gary Neville bestowed him with the man of the match winner's champagne. "Just take it home," Neville advised the teenager, who will not reach the legal drinking age until August 22.

Was scoring the only thing in his mind when he received Ryan Giggs' ball? "Yes. To score a goal," said Macheda, who ran to his father, his mother and brother after his finish.

Neville said he was "just grateful". Shorn of all but one of his defensive mainstays, Ferguson first tried fielding the club captain in central defence against the height of John Carew, then was forced to switch him and John O'Shea around after Carew climbed above a statuesque Neville to equalise Ronaldo's opener.

Neville, Patrice Evra and John O'Shea were all culpable when Gabriel Agbonlahor sent Villa ahead on 58 minutes, prompting Macheda's arrival four minutes later. By the time the winner came, 17-year-old Danny Welbeck was also up front for United.

Gambling was the only solution to United's struggle, reflected Ferguson, who agreed that Macheda's winner compared with Steve Bruce's title-winning late pair of goals against Sheffield Wednesday, in injury time, 16 years ago.

"We've come from behind and that's the significance of it if you go back to 93," he said. "But this is a far more mature team in terms of handling situations like today."

Ferguson, who said that playing Neville after his single reserve team game in six weeks had been a "gamble", suggested that Liverpool - a point behind United with a game more played - are not necessarily his prime challengers.

"We accept Liverpool's challenge but I think that the winner of [the] Liverpool/Chelsea [Champions League quarter-final] will be the biggest threat," he said.

"Whoever wins, it will be a big step forward for them."

- INDEPENDENT