Diouf's ball into Speed's path soon after deserved better than the Welshman's clumsy header over the crossbar, but it was a rare attack by a team under the cosh from their fired-up opponents.

BBC: SPORT | Football | Europe | Rabotnicki Kometal 1-1 Bolton

Birmingham did not press forward too often in the opening half-hour but they were hardly under the cosh either.

BBC: Man City 5-1 Birmingham

United lost at Wolves and even when they won 4-0 at Wigan last Saturday they were under the cosh for the first 20 minutes and Wayne Rooney should have been sent off for his elbow on James McCarthy.

BBC: Alan Hansen on Liverpool v Manchester United