23 August,2010 08:58 AM IST | | PA Sport
Sir Alex Ferguson criticised his players for dropping "silly points" after Manchester United were held to a captivating 2-2 draw by Fulham.
United, missing Wayne Rooney because of a virus, suffered an early slip in the Premier League title race when Nani missed an 87th-minute penalty that would have secured a 3-1 lead.
Nani's effort was well saved by David Stockdale and in the final minute Brede Hangeland, whose own goal had nudged United ahead, nodded home the equaliser.
"When you get the opportunity to seal the game with that penalty you should be taking it," Ferguson told MUTV.
"It was a missed opportunity and it galvanised them, got the crowd up and they scored the equaliser in the end.
"When we got that second goal I thought 'we've escaped here'.
"But to miss a penalty kick to make it 3-1, you're throwing two points away there I'm afraid.
"You don't want to be dropping silly points and we dropped silly points today. We can't escape that.
"There was an opportunity to go 3-1 ahead with three minutes left and we didn't take it."
Ferguson's frustration at failing to join Chelsea at the top of the table was tempered by the admission Fulham deserved a point from an enthralling contest.
