Gary's dejection as Shaun makes up for rejection

Day a local hero turned villain and vice versa

If you had to find the embodiment of sporting misery yesterday it was Gary Neville. Bury born and bred, he understands the local bragging rights secured by Manchester derby victories better than most, and last night he was far from bragging. Given a choice he would have liked silence in a darkened room.

Players crave having their names boomed out loud in big matches and Neville's had been ringing round the rafters in the last derby at Maine Road. Fine, except it was City supporters who were singing.

"There's only one Gary Neville," was one of the more printable ditties flung in his direction, but even that was like a barrage of f-words for a player who had begun the day as United's captain and ended it the butt of home humour. When his manager withdrew him after 61 minutes it was an act of mercy.

Neville's afternoon collapsed after 25 minutes when he spent an age hoping Marc-Vivien Foe's sliced cross would dribble away for a goal-kick. Too late he realised that the momentum was not strong enough and, when he attempted to pass back to his goalkeeper, he merely drilled the ball into Shaun Goater's studs. Fabien Barthez sat down rather than spread himself, but it was the England right-back who was blaming himself when the Bermudan made it 2-1 to City.

Neville's first reaction was to wipe his face; then, spitting with frustration, the full enormity of his error hit him. With his right hand he made a stabbing motion towards his stomach.

"I have sympathy for him," said Kevin Keegan, the City manager who worked with Neville when he was England's coach. "The man who never made a mistake hasn't been born yet, but he'll get on with it, he's a terrific professional." The contrast with Goater's mood could not be more complete. Twelve years ago he was a young man looking over his shoulder, hoping to make the grade among the young talents at Manchester United. He was released, because of the wealth of talent in the year below him, a group who included Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Neville.

Thrown from The Cliff, he moved to Rotherham United on a free, from there to Notts County and finally to City, where he is loved like a family eccentric. Even his most ardent fan would draw a veil over his touch, which can trap a ball in 10 yards, but he gets goals and yesterday took his tally for City to 100 at a rate better than one every other game.

His profit from Neville's misfortune was a poacher's goal, but his second was a sharp rebuke to those who question his positioning. As a ball from the left was heading for Eyal Berkovic, he made his move beyond the disappointing Rio Ferdinand and away from Laurent Blanc and a first-time pass expanded the space. Barthez advanced, but Goater chipped the keeper as he dived. "Shaun was here at 8.30am for a fitness test and we decided that he was worth the risk," Keegan said of his winning gamble. "The worry was that his knee might blow up again and I'd lose him for three or four weeks.

"Him and Anelka enjoy playing together. You couldn't get two more different players but that's a good thing, and over the last two or three weeks there's been signs they are a good foil for each other. United will play against Valencia, Real Madrid and other teams and I don't think they'll have a tougher time than they had with those two."

Neville, who could be forgiven for thinking the City supporters were singing "Who let the gloat out?" would probably agree.