Ronaldo to the double for United
A late penalty by Cristiano Ronaldo enabled Manchester United to move within a point of Premier League leaders Arsenal, after they were pushed all the way in a hard-fought contest against Everton.
Ronaldo gave United the lead with a sublime opening goal midway through the first half but Tim Cahill replied four minutes later with a trademark header that took the wind out of the title holders’ sails. But just when it appeared as though the visitors were destined to stretch their unbeaten sequence to 14 matches at Old Trafford Stephen Pienaar needlessly tripped Ryan Giggs in the penalty area to offer the hosts a lifeline that Ronaldo gratefully accepted.
Everton began the match confidently despite the absence of playmaker Mikel Arteta but the opening exchanges were marred by bookings for Cahill and Tony Hibbert, while Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra also received early cards at Christmas for tackles that were clumsy in nature rather than malicious.
With United missing Edwin van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves, they struggled to get into their stride, Carlos Tevez’s ambitious long-range volley notwithstanding. The Argentina international also saw his effort blocked when he followed up on Rooney’s angled shot after Cristiano Ronaldo had squeezed in a low cross from the byline. However, Everton looked comfortable enough until Ronaldo nonchalantly broke the deadlock midway through the half. Afforded too much time on the ball, the Portuguese cut inside and bent an unstoppable left-footed 20-yarder past Tim Howard.
Undaunted the visitors soon hit back. Constantly looking to test right-back Danny Simpson, making his first league start for United, it was from the left flank that David Moyes’s side worked their equaliser. Pienaar sent over an inswinging cross and Cahill rose above Evra to head his seventh goal of the season past Tomasz Kuszczak. Everton could even have taken the lead after 32 minutes, when Andy Johnson raced down the exposed left side and found Yakubu Ayegbeni, who teed up Phil Neville, but the former United midfielder lost his composure and fired over from the edge of the area.
Stirred into retaliatory action, the champions laid siege to Everton’s goal and twice came close to restoring their advantage. Rooney’s impudent chip was cleared off the line by the excellent Joleon Lescott and, on the stroke of half-time, Ronaldo exchanged a one-two with Ryan Giggs in a sweeping team move before meeting the Welshman’s cross with a skied volley. After the break, the onslaught continued, Tevez dancing into the area before shooting over and then bringing a fine stop from Howard on 52 minutes after Giggs sent him through down the right.
Everton were holding out bravely. Joseph Yobo and Lescott were continually called upon to put out fires deep in their own half as their midfield withdrew under the sheer weight of red numbers. However, as the match became stretched Everton threatened to break through the home side’s rearguard, which now included John O’Shea in place of Simpson. Johnson outpaced Anderson only to play a sloppy final pass and Yobo ballooned an ill-advised strike from range.
Rooney could have made it 2-1 when Ronaldo slipped a clever free-kick into his path but the 22-year-old shaved the bar with his ferocious strike. And the Everton old boy’s miss looked to have been United’s last chance. But then came Pienaar’s aberration. With just three minutes left on the clock Giggs raced into the area and was heading for the bylline when the South African flicked out a leg - a gift too generous for the United veteran to pass up. Giggs crashed to ground and the Old Trafford faithful rose in unison as Ronaldo coolly clipped in the decisive spot-kick.
