Man United 2. Aalborg 2: Rooney sparks stamping row

WAYNE ROONEY was at the centre of a stamping allegation in Manchester United’s Champions League game against Aalborg at Old Trafford last night.

Danish defender Kasper Bogelund later revealed that Rooney had apologised for stamping on his chest as he lay on the ground.

Aalborg coach Allan Kuhn was convinced Rooney was guilty, saying: “It was not good for a fantastic player like Rooney to do something like that.

“You have to keep calm, especially when you are a world-class player like him.”

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claimed he did not see the incident which happened late in the opening half and which was not witnessed either by French referee Laurent Duhamel.

Ferguson fired a warning shot to his players on a night their draw set a Champions League record.

The Reds’ manager was unhappy with the quality of the finishing - or lack of it - as they were held at home by the minnows from Denmark.

He said: “Of course it is a concern. It could be a lack of concentration or it could be carelessness, but the bottom line is that we are missing too many chances and if we don’t take them we risk embarrassing ourselves.”

Carlos Tevez was the chief culprit as he could easily have matched the four goals he scored a week earlier against Blackburn Rovers in the Carling Cup.

It may not have been one of United’s more memorable European performances, but the Reds extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to a record 19 matches - though that total was matched by Bayern Munich and Ajax from the era when it was known as the European Cup.

The Danes from Aalborg may have had their bacon as far as progressing to the knockout phase, but they produced a battling display.

When Tevez fired United ahead in the third minute with a fabulous finish following a flick by Ryan Giggs, it looked as though the floodgates would open.

United stroked the ball around with a confidence which bordered on arrogance in the opening half-hour, but there was a rude awakening when Aalborg equalised in the 31st minute as Michael Jacobsen glanced a header past goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak following a free kick by Anders Due.

And worse was to follow in stoppage time when Jeppe Curth was left unmarked in acres of space to head Aalborg in front.

Ferguson brought on Ji-Sung Park and Paul Scholes at the restart to provide more ammunition going forward.

And it took only seven minutes for United to restore parity when Anderson’s slide-rule though ball released Rooney who scored with a sweetly-struck shot.

As much as United huffed and puffed they could not conjure a winner, Scholes, Gary Neville and Tevez all missing chances while defender Steve Olfers headed against his own bar attempting to cut out a cross from Rooney.

Aalborg held out and the raised arm salute of caretaker coach Allan Kuhn summed up his side’s delight.

Kuhn, who ended his 12-game spell undefeated, said: “What can I say about a night like that? It is the biggest point in the club’s history, a draw at Manchester United. The only thing bigger would be a win at Liverpool.

“Aalborg only has 200,000 people and it is a great achievement for the club and the town.”