Middlesbrough's travelling contingent of more than 9,000 supporters were sent into raptures on Friday evening at Old Trafford - albeit in very controversial circumstances.
After falling behind to Jadon Sancho's 25th minute effort, Middlesbrough pegged Manchester United back shortly past the hour mark when Matt Crooks - a boyhood United supporter - slid in to bring the Championship side level from close quarters.
Crooks was teed up by substitute Duncan Watmore after he brought down Isaiah Jones' excellent pass on his right foot before the ball bounced up onto his right hand. The former Sunderland man then managed to hook the ball to his right and into Crooks' path for him to net Boro's leveller.
As he and his team-mates raced away to celebrate, United's players surrounded referee Anthony Taylor in anticipation of him and VAR disallowing the goal for handball.
However, much to everyone's surprise inside Old Trafford and those watching at home, the goal was given, sparking pandemonium in the away end.
Although United's players and supporters will have felt aggrieved by the decision, Taylor's decision to allow the goal, in line with the current rules, was the correct one, with Watmore's handling of the ball deemed accidental.
The updated rules concerning handball state that a free-kick should be awarded if "a player deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, moving the hand/arm towards the ball."
The rule also sates: "[The player] scores in the opponents' goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper.
"After the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental, immediately:
"Scores in the opponents' goal."
Put in simple terms, the goal would have been disallowed had Watmore put the ball in the back of Dean Henderson's net himself.
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker, although he accepted that the goal was correctly given in line with the rules, slammed the handball rule as a collective, tweeting: "The right decision given the absurdity of the law. Clearly accidental but If he’d scored himself it would have been disallowed.
"The handball law used to be fine. They’ve made it ridiculous."
Sign up to our United newsletter so you never miss an update from Old Trafford this season.
