25 years ago today how Middlesbrough inflicted last defeat on treble-winning Manchester United

While York City heaped ignominy upon Manchester City, the red side were hardly laughingthemselves.

It was all down to Middlesbrough, who then happened to be managed by an Old Trafford legend in Bryan Robson.

Boro triumphed at Manchester United for the first time in the league since January 1930 by way of a 3-2 Premier League success.

History has shown that it became remembered for a different sort of milestone.

Twenty-five years ago today, United lost for just the fifth – and final – time in a historic 63-game season which ended in them lifting the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

Their treble feats were finally emulated by their City neighbours last term.

One of the other teams to beat United was another White Rose side in Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls beat the Red Devils 3-1 in a top-flight fixture at Hillsborough just under a month earlier in front of a crowd of 39,475 in November 1998.Goals from Sweden’s Niclas Alexandersson (2) and Dutch midfielder Wim Jonk secured three points for the Owls, with United's next league defeat coming against Boro, in a loss which was similarlystunning.

The Teessiders’ shock triumph was a day when the hosts badly missed the touchline presence – and half-time cajolement – of one of the greatest managers of them all in Alex Ferguson.

The Scot was back in his homeland at a funeral of a close family member, with acting assistant manager Jim Ryan stepping into the breach.

United trailed 2-0 at the break, which would have been more than enough for Ferguson to issue the hairdryer treatment at half-time, if he was present.

On the day, the key absentee was arguably not Ferguson, but his colossus-like centre-half in Jaap Stam, with the Dutchman at the core of that venerated treble team. He missed out with an ankle injury.

The hosts went to pieces in a defensive sense – with Gary Neville and Ronny Johnsen handed a chastening afternoon by two of Boro’s scorers in Hamilton Ricard and Leeds-born Brian Deane.

Left-back Dean Gordon also netted with a thunderous volley for the visitors, who raced into a scarcely-believable 3-0 lead inside an hour.

United did stage a rally and clawed two goals back courtesy of Nicky Butt and substitute Paul Scholes, but the visitors deservedly held out for a famous win.

It was a victory which was savoured by not only Robson and his assistant Viv Anderson, but another player who had graced the 'Theatre of Dreams’; in Gary Pallister.

While Ryan was left to bemoan ‘individual errors’, Robson waxed lyrical about his own side and the imperious Pallister.

He gushed: “I think he should still be playing for England.”

On his side’s rare success at Old Trafford – only Boro’s fifth since the war – he continued: “Old Trafford is probably the most difficult place in the country to come and win, so it's a great result for us.

“It's probably the best result we have had since I have been manager of the club.

“Manchester United have given us a few runarounds, so it's lovely to come back and win.

“It also gives me satisfaction in the sense that for me they are still the best team in the country.”

At that juncture in their treble season, it is hard to believe that United, back in the winter, were wholly vulnerable.

Heading into the game, they had won just once in nine matches in all competitions since mid-November.

Their three concessions against Boro took their goals-against count to 21 in 10 matches.

Hardly treble-winning stats and a 'worry', according to Ryan.

He rued: “I thought it was a game where defensive mistakes cost us.

“We should not be in a position where we are chasing a third goal in order to get a point at home. The effort from the players was tremendous in the last period and it is just regrettable that the mistakes they had made put them in such positions.”

He need not have worried. Ferguson returned and the rest is history by way of a 33-game unbeaten sequence.

It included a 3-1 victory over Boro just over a fortnight later to claim a spot of revenge in a third-round meeting in the FA Cup in early January.

United also won 1-0 in the return league fixture at the Riverside in May 1999, courtesy of a goal just before the interval from DwightYorke.

It saw Ferguson's side move ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table on goals scored as the Premiership title race entered an ultra-tense final week.