Striker Berbatov was denied by a last-ditch tackle from Gael Givet andthenhenodded down Valencia's curling cross from the right, but Paul Robinson was equal to it and tipped it over the bar.
Henodded towards the pain inflicted by storm Sandy andthen moved on to the stump speech that anyone who has attended more than one rally knows so well - the five-point plan, the anecdote about the US flag rescued from the space shuttle Challenger disaster, the dully-delivered homilies about the need for change.