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Ronaldo keeps United on track
15/03/2008 19:28 - (SA)
London - Cristiano Ronaldo's 31st goal of the season kept Manchester United's Premier League title defence on track by securing a hard-fought 1-0 win over bottom side Derby on Saturday.
The victory lifted United a point above Arsenal, although the Gunners had the opportunity to return to the top with victory over Middlesbrough in their late kick-off match.
Chelsea also remain firmly in the hunt after a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Sunderland while Liverpool boosted their hopes of edging out Everton in the battle for fourth place by beating Reading 2-1 at Anfield.
Derby are on track to finish the season with the lowest points total of any side since the launch of the Premiership in 1992/93.
But Paul Jewell's side nevertheless defied the champions for over an hour before the good fortune that had seen Ronaldo spurn a handful of chances finally deserted them.
Wayne Rooney, from what seemed to be an offside position, rolled the ball across goal for his prolific team-mate to beat Roy Carroll with a side-footed finish.
Opening game
It was a cruel blow for Derby, who would have established a first-half lead but for a superb display by England goalkeeper Ben Foster, who marked his United debut with two superb stops from Scotland forward Kenny Miller.
John Terry's first goal since the opening game of last season, a tenth-minute header from a Frank Lampard corner, was enough to give Chelsea the points at the Stadium of Light.
Avram Grant's men continue to hold the keys to their destiny with both Arsenal and Manchester United still to visit Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool kept the pressure on Merseyside rivals Everton, who are at struggling Fulham on Sunday, by coming from behind to end Reading's recent mini-revival with the help of Fernando Torres's 27th goal of the season.
Marek Matejovsky volleyed the visitors into a shock 5th minute lead but his strike was quickly cancelled out by Javier Mascherano, who went past Stephen Hunt and found the net from 20 yards to claim his first goal for the club.
Torres then sealed the points with a textbook downward header from Steven Gerrard's free-kick three minutes after the break.
Attempted clearance
Portsmouth leapfrogged Aston Villa to move into sixth place in the table with a 2-0 win at Fratton Park in a match both sides ended with ten men after Sulley Muntari and Olof Mellberg were both red-carded.
Jermain Defoe gave Portsmouth an early lead with his sixth goal in as many matches and Villa found themselves two down seven minutes before the interval, when goalkeeper Scott Carson smashed an attempted clearance against Nigel Reo Coker and watched the ball rebound into his own net.
Youth team striker Fred Sears marked his West Ham debut with the winner as Alan Curbishley's side stopped the rot after three successive 4-0 defeats by beating Blackburn 2-1 draw at Upton Park.
Roque Santa Cruz headed Blackburn into a 19th-minute lead as the Hammers, understandably, demonstrated a lack of confidence early on.
But Dean Ashton latched on to a Bobby Zamora flick and produced a deft finish to level things up before half-time, setting the stage for substitute Sears to claim the winner with nine minutes left.
- AFP
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