Save a prayer for me

By JOE BERNSTEIN

Last updated at 23:11 10 May 2008

Few would offer Wigan goalkeeper Chris

Kirkland a prayer of stopping Cristiano

Ronaldo and Manchester United from claiming

the 10th Premier League title of Sir Alex

Ferguson's glittering reign.

But the former stopper for United's arch

rivals Liverpool insists he and the rest of Steve

Bruce's team can keep United at bay at the

JJB Stadium today and hand Chelsea the

opportunity to win the title in the most exciting

climax to a top-flight season for a decade.

With Chelsea level on points with United but

on a much inferior goal difference, they need

Kirkland to reproduce the form he showed

against them less than a month ago. Then they

can concentrate on getting a better result at

home to Bolton than United manage in Wigan.

And the goalkeeper who has battled back

from an horrendous run of injuries to enjoy

his best season and earn a recall to the England

squad, believes Wigan can do it.

Kirkland, 27, said: "I don't see why we can't

stop United. Bolton beat United earlier in the

season, didn't they? It shows any team in the

Premier League can beat another on a given day. United have world-class players and if we don't turn up they will batter us. But we will be

prepared for battle.

"Personally, I hate letting in any goal. It hurts.

My mentor at Coventry, Steve Ogrizovic, was

like that. I remember us winning a match 4-0

and he let in a last-minute goal. He was devastated.

I've got a similar attitude. We're safe

from relegation now, which takes the pressure

off, but we won't take our foot off the gas."

Kirkland believes United targets Wilson

Palacios and Antonio Valencia will cause

Ferguson's team problems at the other end of

the field. But it was his world-class saves to

deny Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou that

stopped Chelsea taking a 2-0 lead at the JJB

on April 14 in a game which ended 1-1 thanks

to Emile Heskey's stoppage-time equaliser.

And now he is ready to give the title race its

final twist today.