Sir Alex Ferguson was left furious with the officials after a controversial penalty decision earned Newcastle United a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Referee Mike Jones initially awarded a corner kick for Rio Ferdinand's tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa. However, after a consulation with his linesman, the official gave a penalty kick, which Demba Ba scored to cancel out Javier Hernandez's opener.

"The referee didn't think it was a penalty - he was eight yards away and he gave a corner kick," said Ferguson. "It was a travesty, the referee was closer than the linesman. The problem is the referees are full-time and the linesman are not."

The draw has left United four points behind league leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand on their local rivals.