United keep pressure on Gunners

Ipswich 0, Man Utd 1 (full-time)

It may only have postponed the seemingly inevitable but Manchester United’s virtual reserve side still ensured at Portman Road that Arsenal’s title celebrations will have to wait a while yet.

Alex Ferguson took something of a gamble against Ipswich in keeping one eye fixed on Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final denouement against Bayer Leverkusen, but it worked.

That it did so owed much to referee Rob Styles awarding a hotly-disputed penalty on the stroke of half-time, which was converted by Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Then again, while Ipswich never gave up amid a determined display, it wasthe visitors who retained that extra touch of class and created most of the clear-cut chances.

As a result, while Ipswich are not yet relegated, it will now take something of a miracle for the gutsy East Anglian club to stay alive - namely a victory at Anfield while Sunderland lose at home to Derby.

As far as the title race is concerned, meanwhile, Arsenal retain the overwhelming advantage, especially after Liverpool suffered an earlier near-fatal blow in losing at Tottenham.

United’s victory may have prevented the Gunners being able to clinch thetrophy at Bolton on Monday night, but five points from three games is still their maximum requirement.

Ipswich would certainly have been boosted by not only Charlton’s late equaliser at home to Sunderland but also the sight of the United team-sheet.

After all, John O’Shea, Luke Chadwick, Michael Stewart, Roy Carroll and Diego Forlan were all picked with Tuesday’s game in Germany evidently in mind.

With Finidi George, Sixto Peralta and Martijn Reuser all pushing forward with gusto from midfield to support lone striker Marcus Bent, Ipswich certainly made a determined start.

But while Bent headed narrowly wide and Reuser had efforts saved by Carroll, it was still United who created the clearer openings as they gradually found their rhythm.

Van Nistelrooy headed his first chance narrowly wide, ballooned his second way over the top from Wes Brown’s inventive back-flick and curled his third several yards off-target.

Then again, he promptly set up Forlan, whose fierce shot was deflected just over before he also struck the side-netting, and duly won United’s highly-debatable penalty in first-half injury time.

Titus Bramble and John McGreal made at most limited contact with the Dutchman as they contested a cross from Roy Keane.

However, the Dutchman still went to ground before picking himself up toconvert the ensuing spot-kick, awarded by referee Rob Styles.

With Paul Scholes on for Stewart at the break, United started spraying the ball around with confidence and even removed van Nistelrooy as well to rest his legs, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer coming on.

Ipswich, whose own penalty claim was turned down after Bent was sandwiched by Brown and O’Shea, never let their heads drop as Matt Holland and Titus Bramble both threatened.

However, they were at best half-chances and United increasingly dominated possession.

On came strikers Darren Bent, who had another penalty claim turned down, and Alun Armstrong, while Tommy Miller came agonisingly close as he dragged a shot wide of the far post.

Then again, it was still United who looked more likely to score.

Keeper Andy Marshall blocked stinging drives from Forlan and Denis Irwin, while Keane, whose display will have given Ferguson extra hope ahead of the game in Germany, struck the underside of the bar.

Tempers became frayed amid a scuffle but as substitute Fabian Wilnis put a late chance just wide, all that effort proved to have been to no avail.

The damage to Ipswich’s season had already been done as they cursed Styles’ penalty decision.

Arsenal were also denied another major helping hand towards the title.

But then their grip on the trophy already seems to be unshakeable even if United will evidently keep fighting to the end and could yet take this title race to the wire.