THE last time Brian Kidd and Steve Bruce were involved together in a finish as dramatic as this they were the focal figures on and off the pitch as a significant step was taken towards the ending of Manchester United's desperate 20-odd-years title search, writes PETER WHITE.

Bruce's late, late goals against Sheffield Wednesday on an Old Trafford afternoon and Kidd's spontaneous celebrations were shown yet again on Sky TV before last night's pulsating encounter as a reminder of how things were for the two rookie bosses not so long ago.

But, if that memory was a champagne moment for both men, the bubbly last night belonged to Bruce while Kidd was probably left feeling sick to the pit of his stomach.

In a week of the solar eclipse and on Friday the 13th, which was also the 100th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's birth, perhaps we should have expected something out of the ordinary.

But this was more stomach-churning than Psycho for the hordes of travelling fans singing their hearts out as their team dragged themselves off the floor at 2-0 down to equalise in stoppage time.

For those same supporters were then kicked in the teeth as Rovers unaccountably deserted their defensive posts to hand Huddersfield a 95th-minute winner. There have been so many downers over the past 18 months, you wonder if it can get any worse - yes, it can, and did.

A game that had everything, including good luck, bad luck, controversy and drama enough to fill another spare TV channel ended in such sickening fashion for Rovers and they could only blame themselves.

Hard done by in a first half they dominated while lacking any sort of real punch up front, Rovers trailed 1-0. They later scored two tremendous goals to have apparently claimed the first away point of the season.

But the first act of near-criminal negligence early in the second half cost them, and then more suicidal defending at the end produced the killer blow.

As gripping entertainment goes, it was Oscar-winning stuff. But it won't win football matches and that is what Rovers need.

Putting emotion to one side, there were a few positives.

Garry Flitcroft's surprise return was one.

How much happier the outstanding Jason Wilcox looked as he returned to an orthodox left-sided role and Lee Carsley was head and shoulders above most - not least when he scored a cracking goal. But it was also an indictment of Rovers' poverty up front that they had to rely on a midfielder and a defender, Marlon Broomes, to score their goals.

They even switched Wilcox to a striker's role in the second half and his aggressive movement alone showed up the natural strikers in a poor light.

It is an area of the team that needs attention. But there were aspects of Rovers' defending that would not have made the manager too happy either, after Craig Short failed a fitness test.

Wearing their new navy blue strip for the first time, Rovers made a great start on a slick surface but were left looking in vain to the referee twice in the opening 20 minutes.

With Carsley and Flitcroft dominant in the centre of midfield, the latter went down under challenge from Chris Lucketti and it seemed a certain penalty - not given.

Then Flitcroft headed Keith Gillespie's corner against the bar and it seemed to bounce over the line.

TV pictures certainly suggested so but referee Paul Danson, close by, once again ruled in favour of the home side.

Perhaps the best chance fell to Kevin Gallacher from one of several Wilcox crosses, but his header was nothing like strong or well-placed enough to cause problems.

It was a real blow when Huddersfield then had a stroke of luck for Marcus Stewart to drift away from Christian Dailly to hit a nothing shot that struck Simon Grayson to leave John Filan helpless in the 26th minute.

Still Rovers pressed, though they were twice fortunate after letting in Huddersfield on the break. First Broomes could well have been sent off for a foul on Clyde Wijnhard, then the striker, a bit of a handful, took advantage of another error to shoot against a post.

The second half promised more of the same when Dailly was just wide with a header but, in the 51st minute, Dailly's attempt to play offside proved disastrous and Stewart strode through to make it 2-0.

Filan made a great save from Wijnhard before the fightback began in earnest with a new attack of Nathan Blake and Wilcox. Blake and Flitcroft shared in the build-up for Wilcox to chip over and Carsley steamed in with a magnificent 65th-minute header.

Dailly headed against the bar before justice seemed to have been done in the 92nd minute when Broomes headed Damien Duff's corner just inside the angle of post and bar.

But Rovers contrived to give it away in the 95th minute when a host of defenders converged on the ball, no-one made a decisive tackle and the ball slipped free to the totally unmarked Rob Edwards who drove home low and hard. Presumably the team coach did not stop at any remote motels on the way home . . . just in case.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.