Ferguson losing 'faith' in refs 

Source: ReutersUnited boss Alex Ferguson reacts after John Terry scores the winner in their top of the table clash

A fuming Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed referee Martin Atkinson's decisions which lead to John Terry's winner in their heated clash on Monday are the kind which lead managers and players to 'lose faith in refereeing.'

Atkinson, who ironically was the same referee who added six minutes of extra time during the Manchester derby, awarded a free-kick to Chelsea for Darren Fletcher's challenge on Ashley Cole, but it appeared that Wes Brown was impeded as the Frank Lampard ball was headed into the net.

After the match, a clearly unhappy Ferguson told reporters:

"Clearly, Darren Fletcher's won the ball - Ashley Cole's never touched and has jumped up in the air - and then (Didier) Drogba's pulled Brown to the ground for the goal.

"The referee's position to make the decision was absolutely ridiculous, he can't see anything. He's got a Chelsea player (Joe Cole) standing right in front of him and he doesn't even move.

"It was a bad decision, but there's nothing we can do about it. You lose faith in refereeing sometimes, that's the way the players are talking in there - it was a bad one."

But Ferguson, who has recently been in trouble for publicly slating referee Alan Whiley for being 'unfit' stopped short of blaming referee Atkinson for his side's loss.

"That goal should never have been allowed. We've dominated the game; we've had great chances to win the match - and that's our fault," he added.

"We had great opportunities to get to the edge of the box and some really good chances in and around the box, but we should be finishing it off.

"We've only ourselves to blame in that respect. But you do need a break - and we never got the break we needed."

He admitted the defeat - United's third on the road this season - was more significant than their recent 2-0 reverse at another rival club, Liverpool.

"The fact is Chelsea go five points clear of us," he said.

"The defeat to Liverpool didn't affect our position in the league - that affects our position in the sense that if we'd have won we'd have gone top today."