United revive title challenge

Football

Manchester United 2 Everton 0

Manchester United, who have been coughing and wheezing to keep within touching distance of Newcastle all season, received encouragement last night when they made significant ground on the Premiership leaders.

Goals from Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs carried them to victory over a weakened Everton and brought Newcastle, thanks to the result at Upton Park, into sight even if United are hardly breathing down their necks. At Old Trafford a six-point deficit, albeit having played a game more, will suddenly seem a less than formidable barrier.

There were undercurrents to this game beyond the need for points. United were keen to inflict pain on the team that beat them in the FA Cup final last May, a need intensified by the appearance of their former colleague Andrei Kanchelskis in the opposition ranks. Everton's players were still stinging from losing to Port Vale last week.

The visitors bore the marks of Joe Royle's wrath after that defeat, Matthew Jackson and Craig Short paying the penalty for what the Everton manager called the worst performance since he went to Goodison. To compound his problems, Duncan Ferguson failed a fitness test on a groin strain.

The residue of resentment over Kanchelskis's departure from Old Trafford last summer was apparent from the start. The Russian international winger was vigorously booed with his first touch and continued to be the target of abuse throughout. It would be nice to report that this came from a mindless minority but in this case majority would be a more appropriate word.

There was ironic, therefore, that Kanchelskis created the first real chance of the game, his lightning pace taking him round Philip Neville and Roy Keane in the 12th minute. His cross eluded Peter Schmeichel, too, but as Graham Stuart slid in, Denis Irwin stuck out a boot and the ball was deflected over the bar.

United, playing in fits and starts, created only glimmers of chances for half an hour, Neville twice forcing Neville Southall into flying saves. With Eric Cantona there is always a threat, however, and with Everton growing comfortable he delivered the piercing pass.

A series of one-twos carved through the Everton midfield and as the visiting rearguard was pulled apart by the movement in front of them the Frenchman slipped a delightful pass between Dave Watson and David Unsworth. The ball was perfectly weighted for Keane, who charged into the space and then chipped past Southall.

A heavy snow shower greeted the players as the second-half started, and the initial impression was that Everton would go under in a blizzard of attacks. First Watson had to head from under his bar as Irwin's cross looped towards the unmarked Andy Cole, then Lee Sharpe's volley whistled past the visitors' post.

The mood changed when Nicky Butt's attempted clearance thumped into Watson's midrift and rebounded just wide of the post. That encouraged Everton and they had their best 10 minutes of the game, Kanchelskis forcing Schmeicel to scramble low down to save a left-foot shot.

There was danger too in Andy Hinchcliffe's 63rd-minute cross that three Everton players seemed to get in the way of each other and Daniel Amokachi's header was too tame to worry the United goalkeeper.

Manchester United (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Irwin, Bruce, Pallister, P Neville; Giggs, Butt, Keane, Sharpe (Beckham, 83); Cantona, Cole. Substitutes not used: G Neville, Scholes,.

Everton (4-4-1-1): Southall; O'Connor, Watson, Unsworth, Hinchcliffe; Grant (Branch, 72) Horne, Ebbrell, Stuart; Kanchelskis; Amokachi. Substitutes not used: Short, Kearton (gk).

Referee: M Bodenham (East Looe).