Middlesbrough 0 Man United 2: Giggs leads way as Ferguson's men move a step closer to title

02 May 2009 14:58
Ryan Giggs turned in a captain's performance as Manchester United cruised into a six-point lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League table.[LNB]The Welshman fired the visitors into a 25th-minute lead at Middlesbrough, and Park Ji-sung completed the job six minutes after the break.[LNB]Boro, who now have just three games in which to stave off relegation, rarely threatened to deny United all three points in front of their biggest crowd of the season.[LNB]Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson rang the changes as heattempted to move a step closer to the Barclays Premier League title.[LNB]The injured Rio Ferdinand was missing, while Cristiano Ronaldo,Anderson and Carlos Tevez dropped to the bench with Edwin van der Sar,and Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick rested.[LNB]Ben Foster took over in goal while Jonny Evans replaced Ferdinandand Paul Scholes, Park Ji-Sung, Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov andFederico Macheda were drafted in.Boro made just one change with Justin Hoyte replacing Andrew Taylor,although there was a return to the 18 for midfielder Julio Arca afterinjury.[LNB]Hoyte, a right-back by trade, lined up on the left in Taylor'splace, while United started with starting in a 4-4-2 formation withWayne Rooney wide on the left side of midfield.[LNB] Strife of Ryan: Giggs inflicts more misery on Boro[LNB]But it was Boro who created the game's first opening with three minutes gone when Jeremie Aliadiere, playing alongside Marlon King in attack, turned smartly on the edge of the box before firing a low right-foot shot a yard wide.[LNB]Rooney curled a right-foot effort high over at the other end two minutes later, but although the visitors were enjoying the greater share of the possession, the Teessiders were defending resolutely.[LNB]Scholes was left dazed when he unwittingly blocked Stewart Downing's driven 10th minute cross with his head, and John' O'Shea had to make a timely intervention to prevent the England winger reaching Matthew Bates' cross at the far post seconds later.[LNB]But Rooney went close to opening the scoring when he drilled a 25-yard effort just over after running on to Berbatov's 14th-minute pass.[LNB]Boro perhaps should have been in front eight minutes later when King played Aliadiere in on goal, although Foster saved with his legs as Nemanja Vidic slid in.[LNB]However, it was United who took the lead with 25 minutes gone when Macheda, making his first league start for the club, stepped over Vidic's cross for Giggs to smash a left-foot shot into the bottom corner.[LNB] Taken for a ride: Wayne Rooney and Tony McMahon battle for the ball[LNB] To their credit, Boro, whose recent record against the reigning champions is better than most, refused to let their heads drop in the immediate aftermath of Giggs' strike and mounted a period of sustained pressure.[LNB]The home fans were far from impressed when Rooney became embroiled in an untidy tangle with right-back Tony McMahon as he attempted to free the ball, although referee Mark Halsey was quick to step in and calm the situation.[LNB]Halsey waved away appeals for a penalty for handball by Berbatov on the half-hour after the ball appeared to strike his arm, but the Teessiders pressed again seconds later.[LNB]Foster just got to Gary O'Neil's cross ahead of Downing, but could only clear the ball as far as Hoyte, who shifted it sideways for Tuncay Sanli.[LNB]However, the Turkey international was quickly closed down by Scholes, who made a vital block.[LNB]Macheda's afternoon was spoiled seven minutes before the break when he was booked for a late challenge on Wheater having already been spoken to after a similar tackle on McMahon.[LNB]Although Foster had a couple of anxious moments under high balls into the box, central defenders Vidic and Evans were rarely troubled as Aliadiere and King struggled to make an impression.[LNB] Park strife: Ji-Sung Park scores his side's second goal at Middlesbrough[LNB]United might have increased their lead in the final minutes of the half when, after Berbatov and Park had combined to move the ball from deep inside their own half to within shooting distance, Scholes sent a long-range effort well wide - and the midfielder missed the target again in injury time after being picked out by the Bulgarian.[LNB]United resumed where they had left off and were almost in again within seconds of the restart.[LNB]O'Shea accepted Berbatov's pass wide on the right and sent in a low cross which Macheda controlled superbly past Wheater.[LNB]However, the 17-year-old's touch took him wide and McMahon was able to clear before he could shoot.[LNB]The Italian should have claimed his third Premier League goal three minutes later after Rooney carved Boro wide open down the left.[LNB]Rooney went past McMahon, cut inside and squared for Macheda six yards out. But the youngster stabbed the ball wide as he fell back.[LNB]The second goal did arrive, however, three minutes later when Park ran on to Rooney's delicious reverse pass and thumped a shot past the helpless Jones to effectively seal victory.[LNB] Sinking feeling: Boro boss Gareth Southgate on the touchlines[LNB]Southgate responded by sending on record signing Afonso Alves, who scored twice in the corresponding fixture last season, and Didier Digard for Marlon King and McMahon.[LNB]Ferguson too made his move by withdrawing Macheda and replacing him with Tevez, having earlier been urged in song by the travelling supporters to resolve the Argentinian's future.[LNB]With Bates having dropped in at right-back, Boro attempted to re-group, but with United playing ominously within themselves. they knew their task was close to impossible.Scholes picked out Giggs wide on the right with a raking 65th-minute pass and he in turn found Tevez inside the penalty area, although Wheater bravely blocked his shot with his midriff to some personal cost.[LNB]Boro were having to defend for dear life when what they really wanted to do was pile on the pressure at the other end, something that was looking increasingly unlikely as time ran down.[LNB]Having seen Wheater loop a header high over from Downing's 70th-minute free-kick, Southgate made his final change when he replaced O'Neil with Marvin Emnes, although his side's cause looked forlorn.[LNB]Nani and Rafael da Silva joined the fray in quick succession as as Park and Patrice Evra were given well-earned rests, but in the meantime Tevez might have increased his side's lead had it not been for an excellent challenge by Wheater.[LNB]Boro's afternoon was summed up 10 minutes from time when Alves carved his way to the edge of the box and then fell over his own feet as da Silva came to meet him.Bates made a superb block to deny John O'Shea with nine minutes remaining and Rooney sent a late free-kick wide, but the game had been over for some time.[LNB] Middlesbrough v Manchester United: How the game unfoldedMIDDLESBROUGH

Source: Daily_Mail