FERGIE’S DREAMS SHATTER!
Harford 50 Sharpe 25 Premier League, April 18, 1992 Att at Kenilworth Road: 13,410
MATT BOZEAT
MANCHESTER UNITED have won 20 Premier League titles – but they might have won 21 if it weren’t for Luton Town.
The 1991-92 title race was between the Red Devils and Leeds United.
With five games left to play, and hunting a first championship for 25 years, Manchester United headed to Kenilworth Road with a two-point lead and a game in hand over Howard Wilkinson’s Leeds.
But the match at strugglers Luton was their third in six days. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had lifted the League Cup with victory over Nottingham Forest at Wembley, and that was followed by a 1-0 win over Southampton at Old Trafford.
Leeds faced Liverpool at Anfield, while Ferguson and Co took on a Luton side fighting for their lives under David Pleat. They tore into Manchester United in front of a sell-out crowd and with Chris Kamara keeping playmaker Brian Mcclair quiet, Ferguson became so infuriated with what he was seeing he was told to calm down by both the linesman and a police officer.
The closest Luton came to scoring was a shot from Mark Pembridge that clipped the top of the crossbar and Imre Varadi – on loan from Leeds – aimed just too high, before the visitors took a shock lead.
Peter Schmeichel thumped a long clearance that Mark Hughes nudged into the path of Lee Sharpe and he was left with only keeper Alec Chamberlain to beat after Trevor Peake stumbled.
Sharpe stuck his shot between Chamberlain’s legs in front of the joyous visiting fans.
But Luton drew level five minutes into the second half. David Preece slung over a cross and Mick Harford outjumped Denis Irwin to send his header crashing against the bar.
Harford reached the rebound just before Mike Phelan to head home.
It took a smothering save from Schmeichel to deny veteran Brian Stein a winner for the Hatters after Pleat sent him on as Luton went looking for three points, while Chamberlain was quick from his line to deny Sharpe a possible winner.