Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester City 0 Man United 1: Fergie's old guards set up another title tilt
The sirens wailed long into the night in Manchester on Saturday. When the derby means this much and the sun is out then the tension and the rivalry tend to spill over. [LNB]But when the dust had settled and the broken glass had been swept up, the outcome was all too clear. Manchester United are back in the title race. [LNB]This has not been a vintage season in the Barclays Premier League. This is the most moderate United team for some time. They have stayed in the hunt partly on the back of the failings of others. [LNB] Timed to perfection: Scholes heads United's winning goal with 17 seconds left [LNB]But if top-level sport is as much about mental endurance,stubbornness and self-belief as it is about naked talent then Sir AlexFerguson's team deserve to have another shot at glory. [LNB][LNB]Eastlands on Saturday was a rare old place to be. The heat was onand the stakes were high. It was not a great game. Both teams werefound wanting in many ways and thrills were hard to find. [LNB]But it's at times like these when championships are won and lost.And as the clock ran down, United did what they had to do. Again. Underpressure for the first time late in the game, the red shirts broketowards their own supporters. [LNB]Now or never. Patrice Evra's cross was decent, City's marking waspoor and Paul Scholes' header was one of the best. With 17 secondsremaining, Scholes, the game's best player, reached back into hisgolden years to produce this moment. [LNB]The ball was slightly behind himand he had no forward momentum to help him as he tried to find thepower to beat perhaps the best goalkeeper in the Barclays PremierLeague. [LNB]But Scholes, at 35, found what he needed. Shay Given was left face down in the dirt. Game over. [LNB]Afterwards, Scholes's teammate and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar paid him an appropriate tribute. [LNB] Old pals act: Former United star Carlos Tevez fails to get the better of close friend Patrice Evra at Eastlands[LNB]WHAT LESSONS DID CAPELLO LEARN?CITYAdam JohnsonNot his best game. Perhaps Capello's pre-match encouragement spookedhim a little. Outside bet for South Africa.[LNB]Gareth BarryCould have been awarded a penalty and always competent. But he doesn't influence games as much as he could.Will be on the plane.[LNB]Shaun Wright-PhillipsHas not been the same since he returned to City. Should forget talks of anew deal and concentrate on earning a seat on the plane to South Africa.[LNB]UNITEDGary Neville Love him or hate him, you can't keep him down. A good day for the United captain.Would be a great squad man this summer.[LNB]Wayne RooneyClearly not fit, Rooney would not have played had the stakes not been so high.No chance in the finals without our best player.[LNB]'A lot of players talk incredibly highly of Scholesy in Holland,' said the former Dutch international. [LNB]'Even in Italy and elsewhere it's the same. [LNB]'His image isn't that big and of course he's not into publicity andall that side of things. [LNB]'But I know every year the big playersrecognise the quality of Scholesy. He has the passing ability, thetechnique and scoring ability. That sort of thing. [LNB]'Even Xavi and Iniesta in Barcelona are talking about him. [LNB]'So many,many players have a lot of respect for him as a player and for what hehas done for United during his career.' [LNB]Having agreed a new one-year contact at Old Trafford only 24 hours before this game, Scholes made a fitting contribution. [LNB]He now has 149 United goals to his name - just one fewer than Ruudvan Nistelrooy - and his performance summed up the difference betweentwo teams who were otherwise evenly matched. [LNB]On a day when both teams desperately needed to win, the margins weresmall. [LNB]Crucially, though, United's experienced players came throughwhile City's didn't. [LNB] Close control: Wayne Bridge returned to action but his comeback failed to coincide with three points for the hosts[LNB]There was little of note from Wayne Rooney or Ryan Giggs. Bothmissed very good first-half chances. But there were memorableperformances from Scholes, Van der Sar and Gary Neville. [LNB]MATCH FACTS MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Given 6;Onuoha 6, Toure 6, Kompany 6, Bridge6; De Jong 7 (Ireland 78min), Barry 6;Johnson 6 (Vieira 64, 6), Tevez 6,Bellamy 6; Adebayor 6 (Wright-Phillips74, 6). Booked: Kompany, Johnson.[LNB]MANCHESTER UNITED (4-3-2-1): Vander Sar 7; Neville 7, Evans 7, Vidic 6,Evra 7; Fletcher 6, Scholes 7, Gibson 6 (Nani 59, 6); Valencia 6 (Obertan 80), Giggs 6; Rooney 6 (Berbatov 74, 7).Booked: Evra.[LNB]Man of the match: Paul Scholes.Referee: Martin Atkinson. [LNB]Certainly, few emerged with as much credit as Neville. It may be hard to like United's captain but it is easy to admire him. [LNB]Up against City's most dangerous player in Craig Bellamy, Nevillewon that battle and - as he kissed his badge and Scholes himselffollowing the decisive goal - it was clear to City fans he had won thewar, too. [LNB]For Roberto Mancini's City team, it was a low day. None of theirstellar names - Bellamy, Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor - steppedup to the plate. [LNB]Although their Champions League ambitions remain alive, this was a day to learn lessons. [LNB]The home team had their moments. Tevez brought a save from Van derSar with a free-kick in the first half and Nemanja Vidic had to be athis best to block a closerange shot from Nedum Onuoha in the secondperiod. [LNB] Look Roo's back: England striker Wayne Rooney was back for United and he frequently troubled City centre-half Vincent Kompnay[LNB]Meanwhile, Gareth Barry might have won a penalty when Neville tappedhis ankle in the second half and Bellamy then drilled a shot into theside-netting when he might have passed infield. [LNB]City did not, however, do enough to win. Despite their recentpromise and fine wins over Burnley and Blackburn, they remain a flakyside. They are a team who remain at the mercy of confidence andimpetus, and so it was here. [LNB]Will this setback end their season? Most certainly not. DespiteTottenham's win over Chelsea, City know home victories over HarryRedknapp's team and Aston Villa will probably see them in the promisedland come May 9. [LNB] Sheer delight: Sir Alex Ferguson rejoices after Scholes' winner as City boss Roberto Mancini cuts a dejected figure at the final whistle[LNB]As for United, opportunity knocks once more. Ferguson sounded flatafter the goalless draw at Blackburn eight days ago, but on Saturday hehad his 'game face' on again. [LNB] [LNB] Before the match he asked his team just how much they wanted to win the club's 19th league title. [LNB]The answer - for 92-and-a-half minutes - was not entirelyconvincing. By full time, though, all that had changed. Chelsea canonce more see the flashing blue lights in their rear-view mirror. [LNB]Meanwhile, City winger Martin Petrov, whose future at Eastlands isunclear after he rejected the offer of a one-year extension to hiscontract, has revealed he will miss the rest of the season with a kneeinjury. [LNB]The 31-year-old has had a frustrating time with injuries sincejoining City in 2007 and exacerbated his knee problem against Stoke inFebruary. [LNB] Sir Alex Ferguson tells Mourinho he has no intention of handing over... yetDerby delight as old maestro Scholes gives Man United's title bid kiss of lifeHow do Man United do it? Sportsmail recalls other memorable late goalsMANCHESTER CITY FC
