Manchester United maintained their six-point cushion at the top of
the Premiership with a scrappy 2-0 win over struggling Charlton
Athletic at Old Trafford.
Park Ji-sung's first-half header, and Darren Fletcher's late
finish, killed off a spirited effort from Charlton, who belied
their lowly position in the table to give the leaders a
fright.
And from United's point of view, Sir Alex Ferguson will perhaps
look on this match as a positive sign for his side's title hopes in
picking up three points on a day when they were some way off their
best.
Park lashed a first minute volley off target, but was much closer
with his next attempt, picking up a loose ball 30 yards from goal
and driving forward before bringing a flying save out of Scott
Carson.
Charlton had come to frustrate the league leaders, but they also
posed an attacking threat early on with Dennis Rommedahl firing
into the side-netting after being released by Marcus Bent.
With United being harried out of possession, led by the manful
efforts of Bent, Charlton almost claimed the opening goal on 11
minutes.
Osei Sankofa curled in a fine cross from the right, Darren Ambrose
climbed well to head towards goal, but Tomasz Kuszczak, in for the
injured Edwin van der Sar, produced a superb one-handed stop at
full stretch.
United gradually started to find space between the visitors'
defence and midfield, but with Cristiano Ronaldo tucked up in bed
nursing a cold, there was a lack of thrust about their attacking
play.
Largely untidy in possession, it was no surprise that the
breakthrough on 24 minutes arrived in scruffy fashion, although
Alan Pardew will doubtless rue his team's defending.
Patrice Evra's cross looped into the air and Park rose well to beat
the static Ben Thatcher to the ball. The South Korean's header from
six yards was directed beyond Carson, who perhaps should have been
out to claim the deflected centre.
The goal appeared to knock Charlton off their stride and there was
suddenly a ragged edge to their attempts to stifle United.
The one genuine moment of class in the first half came on 37
minutes when Ryan Giggs beautifully picked out Rooney, whose
control was exquisite. He flicked the ball over Souleymane Diawara,
but skewed his shot wide from close range when off balance.
Charlton started the second half in positive fashion, although
finding a way behind the United defence was a problem, with Chinese
debutant Zheng Zhi and Ambrose both off target from range.
The interval had failed to bring about an improvement in United's
cohesion and Giggs' mis-hit volley was the Welshman's last
contribution before being replaced by Henrik Larsson.
Louis Saha, looking rusty on his first start since New Year's Day,
prodded a weak shot at Carson before Charlton came agonisingly
close to an equaliser on 76 minutes.
Bent met an inviting free-kick first and his glancing header nicked
off his marker Gary Neville and just beyond the far post, with
Kuszczak beaten all ends up.
United were increasingly having to play on the counter-attack and
again Saha's lack of sharpness proved costly as he shot meekly at
Carson from Rooney's pass after the pair had sprung clear from a
Charlton corner.
A crucial, if ill-deserved, second goal came eight minutes from
time when Rooney's persistence reaped a reward for Fletcher. The
striker's first shot was saved by Carson's legs and from the
rebound, he found Fletcher, perhaps fortuitously, in a position to
head into an exposed net.
Fletcher was denied a second of the afternoon when his attempted
lob was charged down by Carson, while Rooney and Alexandre Song
were involved in a bit of late handbags.