Nani poked home the goal after 84 minutes after Gomes had placed the ball down, seemingly thinking his side had been awarded a free-kick in his area.

Nani, who had appealed for a penalty moments earlier, then swooped to score and, after referee Mark Clattenburg consulted with his linesman, the goal was awarded to spark furious protests from the Tottenham players.

"It was bizarre. No-one knew at the time what was wrong. One minute the goalkeeper had the ball in his hands and next it's in his net," Ferguson told ESPN.

"Nani looked back and looked at the referee and the referee said play on, so what can he do but put the ball in the net.

"You can look at the referee and look at the linesmen and blame them, but the goalkeeper should know better. He's an experienced goalkeeper. I thought he made a mess of it.

"I thought it was a penalty first of all and I think Nani felt he handled the ball. But the referee didn't blow for it.

"The referee played on because the goalkeeper took possession of the ball. He then went to take a free-kick thinking it was a foul. He made an error."

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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp vented his anger at referee Clattenburg, claiming the official had failed to spot a handball by Nani, which led to Gomes believing Spurs had won a free-kick.

"It was handball. He put his hand on the ball and dragged it down," Redknapp said.

"He should have been booked. The referee didn't see him handball it, that's why he's allowed play to go on.

"The assistant referee has seen it, that's why he's flagged.

"He's (Clattenburg) gone over and he's told him what he did, he should disallow the goal.

"He's handled the ball. If he's handled the ball he should be booked and it's a free-kick.

"So Gomes put the ball down for a free-kick. If you look at (Darren) Fletcher he's called Nani to get back into position because he thinks we're going to counter attack from the free-kick.

"Gomes puts the ball down to take a free-kick. It's obvious. Why would he stand there and leave the ball there after he saw him handball it?"

Redknapp said his side may have been able to claim a point if the goal had been disallowed, despite the fact they had already trailed to Nemanja Vidic's first-half header.

"You never know, the game lasts 90 minutes," he added.

"You dont know, we're one down we may get another opportunity to score. You don't know."

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Fletcher offered a third viewpoint - from on the pitch - saying that the referee had failed to whistle for a foul.

As a result he said Nani was left with no option but to tap the ball into the unguarded net.

"The referee never blew. I don't know whether the goalkeeper thought the referee had seen a foul for simulation, but he never blew his whistle," he said.

"The goalie puts it down and then Nani puts the ball in the net.

"It's one of those where nobody really knows what's happened, but Nani has no option other than to put the ball in the net.

"He's got the opportunity to score - he's got to score.

"We are always told to play to the whistle."