United must learn quickly — Fletcher

MIDFIELDER Darren Fletcher accepts Manchester United have lessons to learn about their away performances so far this season if they are to avoid serious damage to their Barclays Premier League title challenge.

Having spent so many seasons dishing out last–gasp defeats to their rivals, Sir Alex Ferguson's side received a taste of their own medicine as Everton fought back from 3–1 down to snatch a draw with two goals in injury time at Goodison Park.

In their only other away game so far this season United saw Fulham's Brede Hangeland earn a 2–2 draw with an 89th–minute header — moments after Nani had missed a penalty.

Those four points are the difference between the third–placed Red Devils and the leaders and defending champions Chelsea, who are the only side with a 100-per-cent record.

Fletcher knows allowing winning positions to slip from their grasp will become costly.

"We should have learned from the Fulham game and we didn't," said the Scotland international, who got his side back into the game with a close–range volley just before half–time to cancel out Steven Pienaar's opener.

"We really have to learn from this game if we want to take it forward this season and win the league.

"We can't afford to throw away points as we have done in the two away games so far.”

Everton should have been well ahead before Patrice Evra's overly–ambitious but failed overhead–kick clearance allowed Mikel Arteta to race through on goal and have Pienaar convert his rebounded shot.

United clicked into gear just before the interval when Fletcher nipped in at the near post to volley home Nani's cross and within three minutes of the second half kicking off Nemanja Vidic had headed them in front.

When Dimitar Berbatov fired home with the outside of his right boot with 24 minutes to go the match looked over until chaos broke out in the visitors' penalty area in added time with Tim Cahill powering in a header before Arteta's deflected strike earned a point.




WAYNE Rooney, who was left out of the squad for the game at Goodison after a week of allegations about his private life, is expected to return as United open their Champions League campaign against Scottish champions Rangers at Old Trafford tomorrow.

It is a special Champions League match for manager Sir Alex Ferguson, a boyhood Rangers fan, who later played for the club, scoring 35 goals in 66 appearances.


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