Wayne Rooney goal drives Man Utd closer to title

Manchester United 2 Portsmouth 0. Manchester United celebrated the 600th start in the famous red shirt for Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes with a clinical - if somewhat nervy - win over Portsmouth at home that took the champions back to the top of the Premier League and moved them closer to a consecutive Premier League title.

But after dominating the first 45 minutes there were anxious faces at Old Trafford as Sir Alex Ferguson's team were unable to kill off a dogged Portsmouth until Scholes put Michael Carrick through for the killer goal in the last ten minutes.

Manchester United gave a sign of the seriousness with which they view retaining their league crown by changing nine players from the hotch-potch side that capitulated against Everton in the FA Cup semi- final, bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney - who opened the scoring within the first ten minutes of the game.

Veteran Ryan Giggs missed two gilt-edged chances to make it 2-0 during a first half in which Man Utd threatened to run away with the game but were checked by desperate Pompey defending.

During the second half, Portsmouth made a concerted effort to at least gain a point to aid in their fight against relegation, but Manchester United's defence stood firm against the threat posed by Glen Johnson, Peter Crouch and Jermaine Pennant before Ferguson's decision to replace Anderson with Carrick paid dividends.

With Chelsea drawing at home to Everton, the championship is - again - Man Utd's to lose as they now lead closest challengers Liverpool by three points with a game in hand.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Kevin McCarra, the Guardian: "The contest for the Premier League title appears to be coming to a serene end. There are more awkward occasions than this to come for Manchester United and an improving Tottenham Hotspur are here on Saturday but it was hard not to feel that the reigning champions have re-established complete control. They have a three-point lead over Liverpool with a game in hand. United were also their usual selves in the current habit of scoring with comparative sparseness."

Oliver Kay, the Times: "These should be the sweetest of times for Manchester United, back on top of the Barclays Premier League and looking forward to a Champions League semi-final against Arsenal, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s expression at the final whistle betrayed a nagging sense of unease. Beating Liverpool to the title was supposed to be fun - and no doubt it will be when the time comes - but this, not for the first time, had the feel of a difficult slog that carries some worrying portents for the forthcoming battles on the European front."

Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph: "Another game, another reshuffle, another reminder of Wayne Rooney’s imperious form. Watched by Fabio Capello’s envoy Stuart Pearce, the England forward started as the lone striker, a position that has not always worked for him internationally but one he relished here, even scoring within 10 minutes. Rooney was everywhere, dropping deep to dispossess Peter Crouch one moment, sweeping passes around, hounding Glen Johnson and always a willing leader of the line." ·