Lee Bowyer scored a contentious 89th-minute equalizer Tuesday to give Birmingham a 1-1 draw with Manchester United, which stays unbeaten but now only leads the Premier League on goal difference.
Bowyer tapped the ball in from close range after Nikola Zigic had appeared to use his arms to control a cross from Roger Johnson. Zigic also looked to have fouled defender Rio Ferdinand in the aerial challenge, while Bowyer was close to being offside.
''He wasn't offside, definitely not,'' Birmingham manager Alex McLeish said. ''It does look as if it came off Zigic's arm, but I don't think he plays it deliberately off his arm ... it's a melee. It would have been harsh to be penalized as deliberate handball. In other words, I don't care.''
Man United manager Alex Ferguson saw the incident differently.
''It was handball, there was a foul on the center half ... he went right through the back of him (Ferdinand),'' Ferguson said. ''If the ref can't see that, what chance have you got?
''That's where we expect them (Premier League officials) to get a referee who sees that. If you can't see that, what chance have you got? We deserved to win the game, we were the better team.''
Dimitar Berbatov had given United the lead at St. Andrews, starting and finishing a move in the 58th minute to collect a season-high 14th goal.
Receiving possession in Birmingham's half, Berbatov flicked the ball to Darron Gibson before receiving the return pass inside the area and drilling it beyond Johnson and inside the near post.
United is unbeaten in 18 matches but only leads Manchester City by virtue of having scored six more goals, although it has played two games fewer. Man City beat Aston Villa 4-0 earlier Tuesday.
Berbatov had almost made it 2-0 in the 61st minute, making room despite being surrounded by defenders on the edge of the box and poking a shot that struck the left post.
United winger Ryan Giggs' dipping first-half strike was touched on to the post by goalkeeper Ben Foster in the only other chance of note.
