Mainoo hails 'unbelievable' feeling of scoring his first goal at Old Trafford

Kobbie Mainoo was left with mixed emotions, despite scoring a stunner for his first professional goal at Old Trafford.

The 18-year-old fired Manchester United in front in spectacular fashion against Liverpool, picking out the top corner from the edge of the area in the second half.

But Mainoo's goal, which will still be fondly remembered even if it didn't prove to be the winner, was cancelled out by a late Liverpool penalty, scored by Mohamed Salah.

For Mainoo, this was three points that got away for Erik ten Hag's side.

'It left us disappointed. We worked hard to get into the game after a tough first half,' he told the BBC. 'We have given it away, ultimately we wanted the three points and it's a big game for us coming to the end of the season.

'To not come away with three points is tough to take.'

It was Aaron Wan-Bissaka's rash challenge on substitute Harvey Elliott that gave Salah, who had had a quiet game by his standards, the chance to level it up from the spot.

'Again penalties have cost us,' Mainoo said, 'but we have to keep on working ironing out these details that keep costing us and keep trying to get better.'

Mainoo and his team-mates endured a nightmare first half where they failed to muster a single shot on target, all while Liverpool completely dominated them, especially in midfield.

Luis Diaz fired Liverpool ahead with an acrobatic effort following a United breakdown on a set-piece and the big disappointment for the visitors was that they could not build on it more than their 1-0 lead at half-time.

Asked what went wrong for Diaz's goal, which saw him peel away from Mainoo and into space, the United midfielder added: 'With that one I was supposed to be double-teaming Virgil van Dijk with Rasmus Hojlund and leaving Luis Diaz.

'We should clear it and it was miscommunication and details have cost us.'

On Erik ten Hag's half-time team-talk, he said: 'He said get ourselves back into the game, there was some positives but we were behind in this type of fixtures it is going to be tough to take.

'You always have to find something against these teams it was such a big game.'

The draw leaves Manchester United 11 points adrift of Aston Villa and Tottenham and Champions League football is a prospect that continues to fade fast, even with the top five places expected to win entry.

Mainoo, however, is not giving up yet.

'I mean there is a lot of important games coming up for us,' he said. 'We have to try our hardest and come together as a group.'