Stalemate deals big blow to United’s title challenge

Man Utd 0 Tottenham 0

Despite dominating virtually the entire 90 minutes, and playing the latter stages with Rio Ferdinand as a centre-forward, the Red Devils were unable to find the breakthrough and slipped 11 points behind leaders Chelsea.

And there was even more bad news for Alex Ferguson, who saw star Ryan Giggs limp off during the first half with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, the game saw a controversial conclusion when Pedro Mendes’ long-range lob was dropped over his line by Roy Carroll, only for the match officials to give the United goalkeeper the benefit of the doubt after he pulled the ball back into play and waved play on.

In-form winger Ryan Giggs limped out of Manchester United’s Barclays Premiership encounter with Tottenham last night, leaving his ailing team-mates desperately searching for an Old Trafford breakthrough.

The Welshman has produced some of the best performances of his career during United’s recent resurgence and looked capable of unhinging the Spurs defence before his unscheduled departure nine minutes before the break.

Fellow veterans Paul Scholes and Roy Keane both came close to putting the hosts ahead in a one-sided encounter, but Paul Robinson produced a fine save to deny the former England man while the United skipper flashed a stinging volley just wide.

It was the visitors who had the first half-chance after Mikael Silvestre gifted possession to Dean Marney - but the 20-year-old’s long-range effort flew well wide of the United goal.

Some superb inter-passing between Cristiano Ronaldo and Darren Fletcher sent Neville scampering towards the penalty area, the move breaking down only when the defender’s intended pass to Paul Scholes struck Pedro Mendes.

Mendes wasted a good chance to release Ricketts after another home attack had broken down; then Ryan Giggs just failed to make the most of a typical piece of his left-wing trickery when his cross evaded Smith’s out-stretched leg by inches.

Giggs then lofted a near-post shot over the bar after Gabriel Heinze had drilled the ball in low from the left.

Tottenham were swift to counter, though, and Robbie Keane forced a save out of Roy Carroll after Silvestre and Rio Ferdinand had failed to deal with Mendes’ long ball.

Noureddine Naybet made a vital interception to prevent Ronaldo sending Giggs racing clear of the Spurs’ defence early on as United were starting to get the bit between their teeth. Then Paul Robinson did well to keep out Smith’s shot on the turn after Roy Keane had nodded down a Giggs cross.

Giggs lobbed a shot well over as the hosts continued to press, although frustratingly their approach play was starting to break down on the edge of the Spurs area.

Smith did burst into the box but his cross was far too deep for any of his team-mates to get near.

Keane then thundered a volley just wide after Naybet had nodded Fletcher’s hopeful punt straight into the veteran Irishman’s path.

The Spurs goal was not exactly being besieged but there would have been a few embarrassed visitors defenders if Robinson had not rushed out to clear as Smith sprinted forward looking to pounce on a wayward Giggs free-kick the white shirts had turned their back on.

Erik Edman needlessly brought more pressure on the Tottenham goal with a hopelessly screwed clearance from a Heinze shot, which was well off-target.

After a couple of corners Keane eventually unleashed another volley, which smashed into Noe Pamarot before it came close to testing Robinson.

The former Leeds goalkeeper was called upon shortly afterwards though as Scholes muscled his way on to a Smith through ball, then poking a shot towards goal, which Robinson kept out with his legs.

United suffered a major blow nine minutes before the break when Giggs limped off and was replaced by David Bellion.

Carroll got away with a potentially calamitous mistake when he fumbled a routine save and allowed Robbie Keane to nip in, but when the striker fed a pass out to Mendes, the Spurs midfielder could only loft his shot over.

Ronaldo curled a weak effort straight at Robinson as United continued to hold sway at the start of the second period.

However Tottenham always looked dangerous on the break and Carroll was forced to rush out and smother as Reto Ziegler attempted to reach Keane’s through-ball.

Robinson was called on again shortly afterwards when Neville fired a crossfield pass into the path of Bellion, who had darted beyond the Spurs defence.

The ball just would not come down quickly enough for the former Sunderland man, who was probably too near Robinson when he finally managed a shot and the advancing goalkeeper saved with his chest.

Pamarot was booked for a late tackle on Heinze close to his own box, offering Scholes a free-kick opportunity which was promptly blasted into the wall.

Marney and Neville were booked in quick succession for fouls on Scholes and Ziegler respectively and between their indiscretions Robinson prevented a Smith header from dropping in.

After Smith had seen another close-range effort bundled away, Liam Miller replaced Fletcher and the Irishman played a part in the build-up to the move, which ended with Ledley King getting in the way of Scholes’ bullet strike. Ronaldo then stubbed a weak shot at Robinson after cutting in from the left flank and Smith followed him with a wayward curling effort after Heinze had won possession on the edge of the visitors’ box.

Ferguson hauled Ronaldo off with five minutes remaining and opted instead to use Ferdinand as a battering ram up front. But in the very last minute, Tottenham should have gone in front when Carroll clearly dropped Mendes’ long-range lob into his own goal-line. The assistant referee, however, was not near enough to the play to see it had dropped in, and the visitors were cruelly denied.

MAN UTD: Carroll, Phil Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze, Fletcher (Miller 76), Keane, Scholes, Ronaldo (Spector 84), Giggs (Bellion 37), Smith.

TOTTENHAM: Robinson, Pamarot, Naybet, King, Edman, Marney, Pedro Mendes, Carrick, Ricketts (Gardner 90), Ziegler, Keane.

Referee: M Clattenburg.