Fergie fury at Fletcher red card

Middlesbrough 0 Manchester United 1

Fletcher was dismissed for a second bookable offence after a rash challenge on Bolo Zenden in his own half. But United rode their luck which began in the 14th minute when Quinton Fortune's cross was deflected past his own keeper by Middlesbrough defender Danny Mills.

Steve McClaren's men piled on the pressure in the second-half but failed yet again to break a Riverside Stadium goal drought which has now stretched to an incredible five matches.

Alex Ferguson blasted referee Matt Messias for sending off Fletcher. Fletcher saw red for a 64th-minute challenge on Zenden having received his first caution four minutes before half-time.

Ferguson sprang to the defence of his young star.

Ferguson said: "The first booking was ridiculous and going by that there should have been four or five sent off. The referee made a rod for his own back. The young boy made two tackles and he was sent off. He is not that sort of player and he never has been."

Ferguson was professed his delighted with the way his side broke through Boro's miserly defence: "I don't think they made a chance in the whole match and I don't think Tim Howard had a save to make.

"We started the first-half fantastically well and in fairness to Middlesbrough they worked really hard and were tigerish to get something out of it.

"When you see Boro's record of the last few weeks their goals against column is fantastic so we have done well to get a result," Ferguson said.

Boro boss Steve McClaren dismissed persistent speculation linking Gareth Southgate with a move to Old Trafford.

There have been suggestions Ferguson is looking towards the England man as a temporary replacement for Rio Ferdinand if he fails to overturn his ban for missing a drugs test.

But McClaren said: "I think it's just pure speculation I've had various chats with Alex today and it's never been mentioned.

"There's been no contact and no talking and Gareth Southgate is an integral part of our team."

McClaren paid tribute to United's central defensive pair of Ferdinand and Mikael Silvestre whom he thought made the difference between the two teams.

But he admitted he was not too disappointed despite seeing his side draw a Riverside Stadium blank for the fifth match in a row.

McClaren added: "We've just gone 11 unbeaten and we had to lose sometime.

"I believe we've lost narrowly today to the champions elect so there's no disgrace in that.

"I'm not a fool everyone can see at times that we just lack that cutting edge albeit against two centre-backs who I felt were absolutely outstanding."

Meanwhile McClaren diffused rumours of a half-time bust-up with referee Matt Messias over a series of decisions which the Boro boss felt went against the home side.

McClaren said: "I was just questioning some of the decisions made in the first half that were quite baffling.

"It was just about the consistency of the decisions and I had a polite chat with him about how it could be improved in the second half.

"It was a niggly game and I said to the lads at half-time that the important thing was because of the silly bookings in the first half to finish with 11 men."

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Queudrue (Parnaby 19), Mills, Southgate, Ehiogu, Zenden, Mendieta, Greening (Maccarone 73), Boateng, Juninho Paulista, Ricketts, Parnaby (Downing 73).

MANCHESTER UNITED: Howard, Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Fortune, Fletcher, Phil Neville, Keane, Giggs, Scholes, van Nistelrooy (Butt 84).

Referee: M Messias (N Yorkshire).