Van Nistelrooy gives frustrated United a win

Manchester United 1 Tottenham 0

Ruud van Nistelrooy broke Manchester United’s five-hour goalscoring duck by slamming home a penalty winner against second-placed Spurs at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman, who has scored just one league goal in open play since March, saw Kasey Keller beat away a series of goalbound shots on another frustrating afternoon – but kept his cool when it mattered.

Skipper David Beckham was still complaining about a perfectly plausible spot-kick appeal for a Gary Doherty foul on Van Nistelrooy when the Irishman chopped down Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

After successive defeats to Bolton and Leeds, last year’s 36-goal top-scorer could not afford to fail.

And he did not, sending the outstanding Keller the wrong way to convert his third spot-kick of the campaign

However, while welcoming the return to winning ways, manager Sir Alex Ferguson must be concerned at his team’s failure to make the most of their dominance.

The second half in particular was virtually one-way traffic, yet it took the agility of Fabien Barthez to guarantee victory and United have now managed just six goals in seven league outings.

United showed just one change from the side which disposed of Maccabi, Nicky Butt recovering from his hip injury to partner Juan Sebastian Veron in midfield.

That move necessitated a defensive change, with Phil Neville dropping into the right-back slot and John O’Shea moving inside at the expense of Laurent Blanc.

With two 1-0 victories and a similar defeat on their three home outings so far, the pattern of previous home games was quickly repeated, United exploring all attacking options against opponents largely content to soak up the pressure.

And, just like West Brom, Middlesbrough and Bolton, Spurs survived untroubled for long periods.

It was not that United were not creating opportunities, just that the final ball – or shot – was wickedly poor.

Neville found himself in an excellent position when he raced into the box from Butt’s pass but lacked the confidence to shoot, attempting a pull-back to his advancing strikers and allowing Keller to collect at the second attempt.

Neither Ryan Giggs nor Beckham could find their range before Keller produced a stunning one-handed save from Solskjaer who allowed Giggs’ flicked header to bounce once before lashing it goalwards.

In between United’s surges, Goran Bunjevcevic forced Fabien Barthez to fly across his goal to tip round his 25-yard drive.

Spurs were not much of a threat, but did enough to keep United on their toes. Barthez gathered Robbie Keane’s overhead kick easily enough and Neville did well to intercept a raking far post cross from Old Trafford old boy Teddy Sheringham which looked destined for Keane.

Amid all this, the major talking point of the half involved a fracas between van Nistelrooy and Dean Richards which started with a wrestling match inside the area, appeared to see the Dutchman kick out as the pair struggled to their feet and ended with the Tottenham man shoving his opponent to the floor.

It could easily have seen Richards dismissed but, without consulting his better-placed assistant, referee Rob Styles booked both men.

If the opening period had been somewhat predictable, the second opened with a flurry of activity which saw both keepers perform heroics before the deadlock was eventually broken.

Keller took just 30 seconds to make his mark, blocking van Nistelrooy’s effort and the American international must have thought he had put in a decent claim for a man of the match award by saving a David Beckham free-kick, another van Nistelrooy effort and a rocket volley from Solskjaer.

However, there was a true showman at the other end.

Ferguson retains true belief that Barthez is still the best keeper in the world when fully fit and the Frenchman certainly has a decent eye for danger.

When Rio Ferdinand blundered a routine pass on halfway, he was rescued by his goalkeeper, who raced 40 yards from his goal, then produced a flying tackle to rob Keane when any failure in execution would have resulted in a red card, a goal or both.

If that was not enough, Barthez then continued on his way, dribbling forward before setting United on another attack.

Then, just to prove eccentricity is not his only forte, the World Cup winner brilliantly saved with his feet after United had fallen asleep defending an Matthew Etherington cross, which Steffen Iversen nodded back to a completely unmarked Richards just six yards out.

Van Nistelrooy’s opener should have settled United down but another foot-first save from Keller denied the Dutchman a second and then Veron, all £28.1million of him, ballooned a shot miles wide with the goal at his mercy.

It was the end of his afternoon as Gary Neville made his entrance for the first time in four months.

The England full-back’s arrival helped ease United home, although Barthez was called upon again in the last minute, flinging himself forward to intercept Etherington’s cross with Redknapp waiting to pounce.