DAVID MOYES was denied a morale-boosting Champions League win in Donetsk – but still left the Donbass Arena as the first manager of an English team to nick a point from a trip to Shakhtar in this competition.

Moyes can do with all the little snippets of posivitity he can lay his hands on just now.

And, with Arsenal (twice), Tottenham and, last season, Chelsea all beaten here, Moyes can look back with some satisfaction on a result which consolidates a decent start to Group A.

Yet the Scot may also lament the fact his side got within 15 minutes of what would have been an impressive victory.

Scorer of United’s last away goal in the competition, against Real Madrid, Welbeck was on the mark again, steering home after Yaroslav Rakitskiy had made a hash of clearing Marouane Fellaini’s low cross.

It was Welbeck’s third goal of the campaign, one more than he managed in the whole of last season, and for a good while afterwards seemed set to prove the difference.

But Shakhtar continued to press and when Taison thrashed home an impressive effort, United needed all their battling qualities to gain the draw their industry deserved.

Until Juventus came to the Donbass Arena and won in December, Shakhtar had pieced together an impressive 49-game unbeaten run on home soil.

So, after the ten days he has endured, to reach halftime a goal up and with his defence holding reasonably firm, Moyes had every right to regard it as some kind of success.

United were more impressive for the fact Wayne Rooney was missing after suffering a shin injury in training before he had even left England which had swollen up overnight.

Yaroslav Rakitskiy will not look back on the goal with any fondness, virtually teeing Welbeck up as he tried to intercept Fellaini’s cross.

The England striker needed no second invitation though and drilled his firsttime finish into the bottom corner.

Shakhtar dominated possession for long periods thereafter.

The introduction of Ryan Giggs for a record 145th Champions League appearance was supposed to shore United’s defence up for the final assault.

Instead, it was followed within minutes by Shakhtar’s equaliser as Vidic could only turn Rakitskiy’s cross into the path of Taison, who blasted home.

United creaked a couple of times after that. But they were never in serious danger of being overhauled.