Late Hammer goals stun United

Sir Alex Ferguson's side had been on course to go four points clear of Arsenal, whose game at Everton was the day's late kick-off, once Cristiano Ronaldo had given them a 14th-minute lead.

But last season's player of the year then missed a penalty to allow the home side to mount a stirring fight-back that saw first substitute Anton Ferdinand and then fellow defender Matthew Upson head home from set-pieces.

The home side squandered a gilt-edged chance when Hayden Mullins' shot cannoned back off a post to the recalled Mark Noble, who was horrified to fire over from 10 yards with the goal at his mercy.

United made him regret that even more when they turned their first attack of note into Ronaldo's opener. Louis Saha began the move with a ball to find Ryan Giggs in space and the Portugal international out-paced George McCartney to head home the cross.

The final chance of the first half also belonged to the Londoners but Carlton Cole, operating as a lone front-man after Dean Ashton was sacrificed to let Noble back in the side, headed the midfielder's pin-point cross over the crossbar despite having enough time and space to pick his spot.

Nolberto Solano, who put a free-kick just past a post, was forced off by a leg injury five minutes into the second period and was replaced by John Pantsil. Scott Parker had been hurt in the first half and was replaced in the 56th minute by Anton Ferdinand, previously absent since October because of a hamstring injury.

Mullins was booked for a foul on Ronaldo who then missed a penalty. Ex-United man Jonathan Spector was adjudged to have handled in the box under pressure from Anderson but although Ronaldo's spot-kick did not lack power it flew wide of Robert Green's right-hand post to keep the home side in the game.

Alan Curbishley took that as the perfect cue to send on Ashton in place of Freddy Ljungberg for the final 20 minutes and a spell of intense pressure conjured up an equaliser in the 77th minute when Anton Ferdinand rose to head a Noble corner past Tomasz Kuszczak.

The home side continued to attack and Upson repeated Ferdinand's trick by heading a Noble free-kick beyond the United goalkeeper. Upton Park erupted as the race for the Barclays Premier League title took another dramatic twist.