Match Review: Ronaldo Rams Home As United Go Top
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Derby County 0-1 Manchester United
A Manchester United side lacking killer instinct were put to the test by a resilient yet rock-bottom Derby County, before a late goal from the relentless Cristiano Ronaldo put any potential upset off the cards, and put the Red Devils temporarily top of the table...
United no doubt dominated proceedings by and large over the 90 minutes, but Derby definitely had opportunities to win the game and looked dominant either side of half time.
The Premier League title holders were proving sluggish in their passing game — veterans Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes being chief offenders — but the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney's non-stop running and pressure ended up being decisive, with the two combining for a winner with about 15 minutes remaining.
Many had expected a goal-fest from Sir Alex Ferguson's men at Pride Park, but Derby gave a good account of themselves while United looked shaky on occasion. Nevertheless, United perhaps deservedly got the result in the end, and are a now a point clear of Arsenal at the top of the table with the two sides having played the same number of fixtures.
First-Half
As was very much expected, United came out the stronger side and looked to impose themselves on the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo had the first chance of the game, shooting over after a good one-two between Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney.
As Derby were struggling to keep up with United — and in particular, Ronaldo — the Portuguese struck the post from around 12 yards from a John O'Shea cut-back.
With Rooney running wide to cover for an aging Ryan Giggs, the young fed in the old through the middle but Giggs — who had already spurned one chance minutes earlier — will be disappointed with his effort, having been left with just goalkeeper Roy Carroll to beat.
Derby somewhat stemmed the flow of United attacks around the 20 minute mark but failed to make any inroads of their own to get the home crowd going.
United themselves were beginning to waste the chances that were coming their way, with Ryan Giggs the chief offender, particularly from set-pieces. Ji-Sung Park and Ronaldo both did well to win free-kicks out on the right hand side, but the Welshman's deliveries into the box were disasterously over-hit.
Arguably Man United's best move of the half came on 33 minutes, after Wayne Rooney's palmary perseverence saw him dispossess Marc Edworthy before then cutting inside from the left and feeding it to Ronaldo on the right hand side of the area. The winger — today playing as a forward — did exceptionally well to fashion a chance from the position he was in, guiding the ball into the far corner with the outside of his right foot, only for an astute Roy Carroll to produce a good save to keep it out.
With the half drawing to a close, it was Derby who looked to shock their visitors, who of course today are looking to reclaim top spot, if only for a couple of hours, with Arsenal playing Middlesbrough straight after in the evening game.
American Eddie Lewis did well on the left hand side to best John O'Shea then cut in a well-timed cross for the onrushing Mile Sterjovski, whose snap-shot produced a magnificent save from Man United debutant and England prospect Ben Foster.
Seconds later, Kenny Miller was fed through and forced Nemanja Vidic to go to ground, rounding the Serbian before opening his body up attempting to slot it in the far corner, but Foster was again equal to the effort with another fantastic stop.
This had the crowd in raptures — you'd have thought this point was guaranteeing them Premier League safety such was their enthusiasm — but before the break, United had one more chance to regain their composure and cause a scare.
It began with a delightful through ball over the top from an otherwise disappointing Giggs, Wayne Rooney ran onto it and did brilliantly in a Gascoigne-esque moment to dink the ball over the top of Darren Moore, but his effort from a wide angle clattered into the side-netting, ending any brief optimism travelling fans had of witnessing a wonder-goal.
Second-Half
The second half began with United once again unable to find their stride, with John O'Shea somewhat culpable some stray passing, as well as a poor free-kick from Ronaldo.
Derby were only too willing to capitalise, pushing forward in numbers and showing a real will to win through the likes of Lewis and Earnshaw, but lacking the finesse in the final third to really work Ben Foster as they had at the back-end of the first period.
United soon proceeded to once again dominate their humble hosts. Two Ronaldo free-kicks from a distance either side of a header from the Portuguese had Derby slightly more worried than they'd have liked, with Roy Carroll busy and the defence in a degree of disarray, but they hung in there and kept out the Red Devils.
A double-change was made just after the hour mark, with Sir Alex Ferguson sensing a disastrous upset on the cards, took off the anonymous Paul Scholes and hard-working but ultimately ineffective Ji-Sung Park for Louis Saha and Michael Carrick, allowing Ronaldo to revert to a role on the wing, with Saha going up front alongside Rooney.
Despite the double change the next time came to Derby, as United were caught slightly short at the back, but a hesitant Sterjovski took a little too long to capitalise, and in the end his deflected effort was kept out by Ben Foster.
As United continued to be frustrated by their own stray passing, Derby continued to attempt to push forward each time, former United prospect David Jones perhaps coming the closest to creating a genuine opening for the Rams, but a last-minute block denied the midfield a dream goal.
Louis Saha was visibly rusty and slowing down play, much like Ryan Giggs, but despite their overplaying, it was a ball in from Giggs knocked on well by Rooney that found Ronaldo at the far post, who saw another agonising near-miss, as his near-post effort hit the side-netting.
That was to be the last of the winger's misery, as he broke the deadlock soon after following great play from Wayne Rooney. The England international chased down a lost cause on the left hand side and, on his weaker foot, knocked in a great ball into the middle. Ronaldo, running in, showed great composure to adjust his body and poke an effort past Roy Carroll.
There was a hold-up in play soon after, as referee Phil Dowd pulled up with a hamstring problem and was eventually replaced by fourth official Trevor Kettle.
The final minutes saw both sets of fans in good spirits and the game opening up. Ronaldo produced yet another good effort from a free-kick, as well as testing Roy Carroll with a close-range effort, the ex-United man doing brilliantly once again to keep it out.
With a corner kick in the final minutes, Roy Carroll then attempted to rescue a heroic point for his side, coming forward and indeed receiving the ball on the edge of the area, but his effort was blocked off as the final whistle blew moments after.
Line-Ups
Derby County (4-4-2): Carroll — Edworthy (Todd, 55), Lea****, Moore, McEveley — Sterjovski (Robert, 83), Savage, Jones, Lewis — Miller, Earnshaw (Villa, 76)
Unused substitutes: Price, Villa, Ghaly
Manchester United (4-4-2): Foster — O'Shea, Brown, Vidic, Evra — Park (Saha, 62), Scholes (Carrick, 62), Anderson (Fletcher, 73), Giggs — Ronaldo, Rooney
Unused substitutes: Heaton, Hargreaves
Bookings
(Derby) Darren Moore, 6
(Derby) David Jones, 22
(Derby) Robbie Savage, 70
(Man Utd) Michael Carrick, 71
(Derby) James McEvely, 89
Goals
0-1 (Man Utd) Ronaldo, 76
Referee: Phil Dowd (Trevor Kettle, 84)
Attendance: 33,092