Both managers were lamenting lost leads after Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United battled to an action-packed and controversial 2-2 premier league draw at Ewood Park on Wednesday.

United led 1-0 through Ryan Giggs and played some scintillating football in the first half, twice hitting the woodwork and cutting through the home defence at will.

But an own goal off the head of David Beckham and a Keith Gillespie shot hauled battling Blackburn ahead in the second half, Henning Berg also hitting the bar for the promoted club.

United split the points 12 minutes from time when Beckham's quickly taken 40-metre free-kick caught the home defence napping as well as his manager, who missed the goal.

"It's a game we've thrown away," Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports TV.

"We were absolutely brilliant in the first half, you won't see football as good as that anywhere.

"But after halftime for 15 or 20 minutes we didn't react to the way they came back at us and then we had an uphill fight from a position of complete control.

"Through our own carelessness, we let two points slip."

Blackburn boss Graeme Souness, while full of praise for his side's sterling second half efforts, was also aggrieved.

"To come back like we did then concede a goal like that was frustrating," he said.

"It was great play by David Beckham but a frustrating way to lose our lead.

"The referee spent all match telling us to wait for the whistle, why on that occasion did he not say the same thing?

"But it was a fantastic game of football.

"We are back in the big league and I'm sure the fans went home very happy. They saw a wonderful team in Manchester Untied and a very spirited team in Blackburn.

"We were like a boxer that had had a difficult round at halftime but came out fighting.

"We stuck to our guns and we got to 2-1 up and the thing I want to fall asleep thinking about tonight was our grit and determination."

Gillespie, who spent three frustrating years on the fringes of the first team at Old Trafford in the early 90s before moving to Newcastle United, had no complaints about Beckham's goal.

"We fought back well but shot ourselves in the foot giving away a daft equaliser," he said.

"I did hear a whistle so the ball's in play -- it happened last night so we should have seen it, but we are still happy with a point."

On a personal note, the Northern Ireland international was delighted with his goal after losing his place in the side last season and being loaned out to Wigan.

"I've managed to battle my way back into the team and that goal tonight was the icing on the cake," he said.

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