United were held to a frustrating draw with Manchester City after surrendering a two-goal lead in a breathless encounter.

The Reds went two goals clear inside half an hour through Reece Brown and Will Keane, only to succumb to heavy City pressure as Alex Nimely reduced the arrears before Andrew Tutte converted a 90th-minute penalty.

For long periods it had seemed that desperate defending and an inspired performance from United goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler was going to all-but end the Blues' hopes of catching United in the title race. Ultimately, the draw leaves the door ajar for third-placed Liverpool.

City started with clear intent, as Nimely twice chanced his arm inside two minutes, but Mame Biram Diouf was within a whisker of breaking the deadlock with a glancing header on 10 minutes as United found a foothold in the game.

The visitors' attack carried plenty of menace, however, and it took a stunning double save from Zieler to keep out David Poole's shot and Nimely's follow-up, which seemed a certain goal until the German flung himself to parry it behind.

The importance of that save became apparent two minutes later as United took the lead. Oliver Norwood curled a tantalising free-kick into the City area and landed it perfectly on the forehead of the onrushing Brown, who buried his header into the bottom corner.