On the day that Sir Alex Ferguson suggested he might again postpone his retirement, due in two years' time, West Ham United's Glenn Roeder may also have extended his career by virtue of one late goal that kept his side off the bottom of the Premiership. It should have been disallowed, as the scorer, Jermain Defoe, was narrowly offside, but then so was Ruud van Nistelrooy in the build-up before putting Manchester United ahead in the first half.

United, admittedly understrength, produced the sort of performance to encourage any manager to adopt a quieter life. Rarely in control against a supposedly struggling side, they sat back in the second half before reviving immediately West Ham equalised, forcing David James into two outstanding saves in stoppage time.

Overall, a fixture that has so often produced a crop of goals – 18 in the past three encounters, including a 5-3 success for United last year – offered less generous entertainment than normal.

Home supporters, some of whom had held up red cards in a protest against the West Ham chairman, Terence Brown, were nevertheless either generous enough or relieved enough to cheer their unpredictable heroes off at the final whistle, while the visitors' following must have been cursing a continuing ability to win away: regulars have seen only one success in seven Premiership matches this season. The more tolerant would point to the absence of David Beckham as well as Roy Keane and Nicky Butt from the midfield yesterday; the England captain has fractured ribs and will be absent for at least three weeks. Rio Ferdinand was unable to make a reunion with his first club and Gary Neville, unexpectedly, was unable to replace him, because of a thigh injury sustained in training. The one bonus was the return of Wes Brown, who showed up well in the centre of defence in his first game since breaking an ankle in mid-August.

There might even be mixed feelings about Ferguson's suggestion in a newspaper interview that he will not retire in a spirit of anticlimax without adding another trophy or two in the next couple of seasons. "When you've built something like I have, you don't throw it away," he said. "It would be inconceivable for me to retire having not won anything. It won't happen. I would consider staying on again, postponing my retirement. It will depend on how I feel in two years' time." The United hierarchy will presumably want an indication of his intentions well before that, but the thrust was clear.

After the game Ferguson added: "West Ham deserved their point, but they had the linesman to thank." The home side had looked unexpectedly full of life and confidence considering their dire record in their own backyard, where Oldham Athletic, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham have all ruled this season – though, typically for West Ham, Arsenal were given a much harder time and should have been sent packing.

Paolo Di Canio looked like a man keen to prove that Old Trafford would suit him if Upton Park – the management there, not the adoring crowd – doesn't want him. He repeatedly caused trouble by pulling wide to either wing and linking up with Joe Cole – who was trying to impress the watching England manager, Sven Goran Eriksson – wide on the right, or Defoe.

Early on, Defoe sent Cole to the byline with a long crossfield pass and was just beaten to the cross at the far post by John O'Shea. Soon afterwards Di Canio fed Trevor Sinclair – the man in the Irons mask – for an even better centre to Cole, whose header bounced off the inside of a post for Defoe to knock in; alas, the young striker had been just offside as the move developed.

If only, West Ham would moan, the referee at the other end had been equally alert shortly before half-time. He did not observe that Van Nistelrooy was in an offside position as Quinton Fortune (once a public schoolboy up the road in posh Woodford), passed to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the left wing. The Norwegian crossed and Van Nistelrooy, now legitimately positioned, side-footed in.

Fortune always hiding? It was in one sense, though it favoured the bubble-blowers two minutes later after an aberration by James. The goalkeeper, trying to be a left-back, hit a suicidal pass up the line straight to Van Nistelrooy, who found Solskjaer for a hastily taken shot wide of the empty net.

Until the goal, United threats had been spasmodic. The referee's assistant did spot Van Nistelrooy creeping too far forward before beating James as early as the ninth minute; Solskjaer was allowed to head Juan Sebastian Veron's corner narrowly over the bar.

In the second half, Paul Scholes and Solskjaer were close, before West Ham got a grip again. Defoe, always a danger, latched on to Sinclair's header and lobbed against the bar. Time was running out and the bottom of the table was beckoning when Di Canio, apparently crowded out, managed to thread the ball through and Defoe, a foot or two offside, sent Upton Park into raptures.

The mood would have changed just as abruptly had James not blocked Solskjaer's jab as Christian Dailly slipped, then done even better to keep out a header by Laurent Blanc, United's captain. Unlike the previous week against Leeds, late heroics had yielded an invaluable point.

"It's been a rotten, horrible start but we've always believed in ourselves," said Roeder. He must hope his board of directors continue to do so.

Goals: Van Nistelrooy (37) 0-1; Defoe (85).

West Ham United (4-4-2): James 7; Schemmel 4, Dailly 5, Pearce 5, Winterburn 5; Cole 6, Cisse 4, Carrick 6, Sinclair 6; Defoe 7, Di Canio 7. Substitutes not used: Van der Gouw (gk), Repka, Breen, Camara, Garcia.

Manchester United (4-4-2): Barthez 6; O'Shea 6, Brown 7, Blanc 7, Silvestre 6; Scholes 4, Veron 5, Fortune 6, Giggs 6; Solskjaer 7, Van Nistelrooy 6. Substitutes not used: Ricardo (gk), P Neville, Forlan, Davis, Richardson.

Referee: M Halsey (Lancs) 5.

Bookings: West Ham: Cisse, Di Canio. Manchester United: Fortune.

Man of the match: Defoe.

Attendance: 35,049.