Man Utd moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League after a comfortable 2-0 win over Middlesbrough.
Giggs and Park strike to down Boro
Premier League champions Manchester United went six points clear at the top of the table after a comfortable 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at The Riverside.
Relegation threatened Boro did their best to keep United at bay, but they never looked like getting anything out of the game once Ryan Giggs had slotted home the opener after 25 minutes.
United were in control as the home side struggled to muster a decent chance to test Ben Foster with.
Sir Alex Ferguson - who named a strong XI - then saw the points secured just moments after the break when Park Ji-sung fired home from the edge of the box after a flowing move.
The win now sees United six points ahead of nearest rivals Liverpool - who play against Newcastle on Sunday, whilst Boro remain three points adrift of safety with just three games of the season left.
Next Monday evening's derby trip to fellow strugglers Newcastle is looking increasingly pivotal for both clubs with at least one of them seemingly certain to slip out of the top flight.
The task ahead of Boro was summed up eloquently by a quick glimpse at the team-sheet before kick-off.
Ferguson, with Tuesday night's visit to the Emirates Stadium in mind, was able to make seven changes - one of them enforced by Rio Ferdinand's rib injury - without unduly weakening his team.
He was still able to name Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Paul Scholes, Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov in his starting line-up, while his embarrassment of riches allowed him to keep Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Nani and Anderson in reserve on the bench.
By contrast, opposite number Gareth Southgate was forced to field right-back Justin Hoyte on the left with Andrew Taylor injured, and again left misfiring £12.7million striker Afonso Alves among the substitutes.
Where United exuded experience, particularly in the middle of the park where the economy of movement and accuracy of passing exhibited by Scholes and Giggs was often breathtaking, the Teessiders struggled to break their opponents down.
They caused problems for stand-in keeper Ben Foster with a series of high balls into the box, but otherwise central defenders Vidic and Jonny Evans were largely untroubled.
To their credit, Boro fought and scrapped for every ball, but there was always a feeling that United had several more gears to go through.
Opener
Rooney, starting wide on the left, three times went for goal from distance without hitting the target, but Giggs was not so forgiving when he was presented with his chance after 25 minutes.
Federico Macheda, making his first league start for the club, stepped over Vidic's ball across the edge of the penalty area and the Welshman left keeper Brad Jones rooted to the spot as he drilled to ball into the bottom corner without a second thought.
Boro rallied briefly, but with Berbatov causing problems by launching a series of attacks from inside his own half, they might have been further behind before the break.
Indeed, had Scholes not been uncharacteristically wasteful twice at the death, the game could have been beyond the Teessiders by the time they returned to the dressing room.
The respite was only temporary, however, and although teenager Macheda let the home side off the hook within four minutes of the restart when he fired wide from just six yards after Rooney had left Tony McMahon on his backside, the second goal was just around the corner.
It came with 51 minutes gone when Park swooped on Rooney's glorious reverse pass to dispatch a venomous shot past the motionless Jones.
United slipped into cruise control as Southgate attempted to freshen things up by sending on Alves and Didier Digard, although it took a brave 65th-minute block by David Wheater to deny substitute Tevez a third goal after Scholes had picked out Giggs with a raking long ball.
Foster was a virtual spectator as the clock ran down with Boro's fightback never really getting off the ground.
Indeed, United looked more likely to increase their lead with Rooney twice going close late on and Matthew Bates denying John O'Shea his second goal of the week with a fine block nine minutes from time.
| Middlesbrough |
Team Statistics |
Manchester United |
| 0 |
Goals |
2 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 2 |
Shots on Target |
2 |
| 8 |
Shots off Target |
9 |
| 5 |
Blocked Shots |
3 |
| 3 |
Corners |
3 |
| 7 |
Fouls |
9 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
3 |
| 1 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 70.1 |
Passing Success |
78.7 |
| 27 |
Tackles |
19 |
| 85.2 |
Tackles Success |
57.9 |
| 46.1 |
Possession |
53.9 |
| 56.8 |
Territorial Advantage |
43.2 |
|
