MANCHESTER: Michael Owen capped one of the most dramatic derbies in Premier League history as the Manchester United striker's stoppage-time goal clinched a dramatic 4-3 victory over arch rivals Manchester City on Sunday.

Craig Bellamy appeared to have earned City a point at Old Trafford as he levelled with five seconds left in normal time, his side's third equaliser of the game coming after Darren Fletcher's 80th minute header had earlier appeared enough to win the game for the Reds.

That was Fletcher's second goal of the game after City had twice equalised - Gareth Barry cancelling out an early Wayne Rooney strike after excellent work from former United forward Carlos Tevez and Bellamy scoring a wonderful solo goal after Fletcher had opened the second half with his first of two goals.

Shay Given kept City in a pulsating contest with a string of brilliant saves before Fletcher rose to head home Ryan Giggs' free-kick, which had been contested by City who claimed Micah Richards had not fouled Patrice Evra, as he was judged to have done.

But with time running out, Rio Ferdinand attempted to flick the ball over the head of Martin Petrov on the halfway line and the City substitute played the ball forward for Bellamy to run half the length of the field and beat Ben Foster from a tight angle on the by-line.

The drama was still not over, however, with officials decreeing four minutes of added time. To City's frustration the match was into six minutes of stoppage time when a perceptive Giggs pass played in substitute Owen who finished clinically.

City were guilty of a sluggish start to the game, indeed to each half, and early signs were not promising for the pretenders to United's Premiership crown.

They were painfully slow to organise as Giggs took a second minute throw-in near the left-hand corner flag, allowing Evra to advance unmolested and work through a pass to Rooney.

The England forward surged into the area, through a couple of half-hearted challenges, before driving the ball home from the corner of the six-yard area.

That might have been the signal for City to fold after such an inauspicious start, instead they weathered more early pressure before equalising after 16 minutes.

Foster had already been troubled by Tevez, and his tendency to chase every lost cause and hopeful through ball, and that was the case when Joleon Lescott punted a long pass into the home area.

Foster was indecisive and panicked, allowing Tevez to dispossess him, and the former United favourite squared the ball for Barry to finish clinically into the open goal.

In the final seconds of the first half, Tevez hit the post, after being played through by Stephen Ireland, and Lescott missed a good shooting opportunity from a half-cleared free-kick.

As they had in the first period, United drew first blood after the interval when Evra's neat pass found Giggs whose left-wing cross hung superbly for Fletcher to arrive, rise above his markers and head past Given.

United could sense victory and Rooney played in Giggs for a superb strike, with the outside of his boot, which Given saved well with his legs.

United's lead lasted just four minutes before City countered, Tevez found Bellamy arriving down the left flank and the Welshman was allowed to advance into the area before planting a scintillating shot into the top corner of the United goal.

United's response was swift but Given was immense in keeping the hosts at bay.

Park Ji-Sung shot inches wide from the edge of the area before Dimitar Berbatov, twice in quick succession, met Giggs' crosses with powerful headers that seemed destined for the back of the goal before Given responded in lightning fashion to make reflex saves on his goalline.

In the 70th minute, Giggs tried his own luck with a volley from just inside the City area which Given again somehow managed to keep out, setting the scene for the most incredible finale.