Premier League - Vidic late show spares United blushes

Eurosport - Sun, 07 Dec 12:54:00 2008

Nemanja Vidic netted in injury time to give Manchester United a narrow 1-0 win over Sunderland in their first game without Roy Keane at the helm.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League Manchester United Nemanja Vidic - 0

For 90 minutes, Sunderland - under acting manager Ricky Sbragia - played with 10 men firmly behind the ball and hoped a solid rearguard performance would land them an unlikely point away to the champions.

And for 90 minutes, their spoiling tactics worked as United were left frustrated by the sheer numbers stacked against them in the Sunderland defence and their own players' inability to find the back of the net.

But in the first minute of time added on, Michael Carrick's long-range shot was deflected onto an upright and rebounded straight to Vidic, who gleefully slotted home to hand United all three points right at the death.

Vidic - and the vast majority of those inside Old Trafford - breathed a huge sigh of relief, with few underestimating the importance of the goal which could yet prove crucial in the title race.

With Liverpool and Chelsea winning earlier in the day, victory was imperative for United if they were to remain within striking distance of their main title rivals.

Mission accomplished: United remain five points behind Chelsea and six adrift of leaders Liverpool, with a game in hand on both.

Over the years United have made late goals their trademark and, even if in recent times Arsenal and Liverpool have rather taken over their mantle as kings of the dramatic finales, Vidic proved Alex Ferguson's side still have it in them.

It was nothing less than United deserved, while few could complain that Sunderland left empty handed.

The visitors showed little to no desire to score, preferring instead to take their chance by sitting deep in their own half and relying on their defence to hold out for a point.

That substitute Kenwyne Jones won their first corner of the game in final minute - an event which brought an excited roar from the visiting support - spoke volumes for their ambition.

Ferguson - who was forced to observe the game from the directors' box as a result of his touchline ban - opted to overlook midweek hat-trick hero Carlos Tevez in favour of Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov in an unchanged side to the one which won the Manchester derby a week earlier.

Both were involved in early chances for United, Berbatov being denied by Marton Fulop on 12 minutes before Rooney fired a well-worked free-kick goalwards which the Bulgarian helped on its way soon after. Fulop again had to be alert to keep it out.

But it was not until after the break that United really began to threaten the Sunderland goal, as a breakthrough increasingly seemed just around the corner.

Darren Fletcher, Carrick and Cristiano Ronaldo - who was forced off clutching his ribs on 68 minutes - all went close before the inevitable siege during the final 20 minutes began.

Ryan Giggs lashed a volley wide, Berbatov headed over and Tevez - on since the 58th minute - dragged wide from a similar position to where he netted his third in midweek.

Vidic headed straight at Fulop, Anderson was foiled by a brilliantly timed Teemu Tainio tackle and Carrick dragged another shot wide of the mark as time ran out before Vidic finally made the hosts' utter domination count - and kept United very much in the hunt for the title.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 146 - 165 of 165

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  1. Boze pravde, ti sto spase
    od propasti do sad nas,
    cuj i­ odsad nase glase
    i od sad nam budi spas
    Mocnom rukom­ vodi, brani
    buducnosti srpske brod,
    Boze spasi, Boze­ hrani
    srpske zemlje, srpski rod!
    Slozi srpsku bracu­ dragu
    na svak dican slavan rad
    sloga bice poraz vragu
    a­ najjaci srpstvu grad.
    Nek na srpskoj blista­ grani
    bratske sloge znatan plod
    Boze spasi, Boze­ hrani
    srpske zemlje, srpski rod!
    Nek na srpsko vedro­ celo
    tvog ne padne gneva grom
    Blagoslovi Srbu­ selo
    polje, njivu, grad i dom!
    Kad nastupe borbe dani
    k­ pobedi mu vodi hod
    Boze spasi, Boze hrani
    srpske­ zemlje, srpski rod!
    Iz mracnoga sinu groba
    srpske slave­ novi sjaj
    nastalo je novo doba
    Novu srecu, Boze­ daj!
    Otadzbinu srpsku brani
    pet vekovne borbe plod
    Boze­ spasi, Boze brani
    moli ti se srpski rod!

    From veselin, on Tue 24 Mar 7:50PM

  2. Ronaldo off down the tunnel...broke a nail, and had to­ get his hair done.

    From Jim V, on Mon 8 Dec 2:24PM

  3. Vidic is the best!!! Vidic je najbolji!!! Goran­ Srbija

    From Goran, on Sun 7 Dec 8:40PM

  4. man u 1 lucky goal to win, but we got the cry baby­ cheating sod off the pitch before he fell over in the­ box. HA HA HA

    From norman, on Sun 7 Dec 8:12PM

  5. Man U what a laugh, goal in extra time, pathetic­ won't win an egg cup. UP THE MAKEMS

    From norman, on Sun 7 Dec 8:02PM

  6. poorman3000 you are obviously not a united fan so what­ are you doing commenting on our players for you­ dipstick what pile of @#$% do you support bet you dont­ tell us did they do the double last season .didnt think­ so cos that was us were not that bad are we go and play­ with a train you little jealous hater

    From DAZGGMU-RED-LEGEND-OF-YAHOO, on Sun 7 Dec 5:19PM

  7. ALL ENGLISH FOOTBALL
    PREMIER LEAGUE – FA CUP – CARLING­ CUP
    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – UEFA CUP
    ALL MATCHES ON WEB: ­ PREMIER LEAGUE, LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA AND CHAMPIONS­ LEAGUE - UEFA CUP
    ALL THE HIGH-LIGHTS OF PREMIER­ LEAGUE MATCHES

    From go to www.premiership.altervista.org, on Sun 7 Dec 4:34PM

  8. harry, how the f.ck would you be able to play when­ there are 10 men crowding around their penalty box.­ that is not football, that is desperation and­ cowardness. and the possession and shots on target­ speak for themselves.

    From aleksicn93, on Sun 7 Dec 3:14PM

  9. what @#$%

    From U R SOLES, on Sun 7 Dec 3:10PM

  10. Man Utd, not able to beat a managerless second-rate­ team like Blunderland until the last minute.
    What a­ team of overpaid gay posers.

    From Bobby Robson A Legend, on Sun 7 Dec 2:03PM

  11. Sunderland were rubbish from the start. If thats­ premiership football good riddence to them.They would­ not have betten United reserves with that performance.­ The result was a correct one for them being so negative­ and I am not a united fan.

    From bpcrutchley, on Sun 7 Dec 1:58PM

  12. I think vida is the best defender in the premier league

    From joefleming, on Sun 7 Dec 1:52PM

  13. No options no brains or ideas
    in 90' they could­ have changed 3/5
    options on attack not repeat and hope­
    luring the opponents out is 50 0/0 of the game
    but we­ kept on knocking on the same door

    From murpani, on Sun 7 Dec 1:21PM

  14. guess its a trademark ManU trait on display there.­ Thanx to Vidic pts have been netted

    From jayadeep r, on Sun 7 Dec 1:08PM

  15. Rooney takes corners because he has a good delivery,­ and he's @#$% at heading the ball. does that answer­ your question?

    From Huw Owen, on Sun 7 Dec 12:27PM

  16. i dont think anderson will ever be good at shooting.­ it's jus not in him. How many times has he­ completely mistimed an easy shot on target; he's a­ great player and has the potential to be great but he­ will never become a great natural shooter of the ball­ like a scholes.

    From shin, on Sun 7 Dec 12:15PM

  17. 80% possession yet only 1 goal. Sunderland turned up­ with only one aim. To Stifle United. Good job United­ always play to the death :O)

    From Baldrick, on Sun 7 Dec 12:11PM

  18. MU 5th place end of the season ..idiots

    From monkeysterunited, on Sun 7 Dec 12:04PM

  19. re 150. Its a good job people like you dont run­ football clubs. Anderson is a great midfielder who is­ highly rated by everyone at the club and the Brazilian­ national team. Granted he has not scored yet but has­ come close often and his work rate, passing ability and­ vision and even his tackling is supurb. You are quick­ to slag a 19 year old Brazilian off but whats the­ betting he is a million times better than you could­ ever be!

    From David, on Sun 7 Dec 12:02PM

  20. Crisis-Club Blunderland got what their pathetic­ cowardly display deserved . . . . NOWT.
    Comeuppance is­ such a lovely word isn't it, you coin-throwing­ girls . . . . got a lovely ring to it.

    From cameron w, on Sun 7 Dec 11:50AM
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