Ronaldo revives United after defensive slip

Manchester United lost their impressive defensive record Saturday, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s winner saw them escape with a 2-1 victory over Blackburn at Old Trafford that moved them eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Sam Allardyce’s lowly Rovers pushed the champions hard and caused them many anxious moments after Roque Santa Cruz claimed a first-half equaliser.

The Blackburn striker’s effort, after 32 minutes, was the first league goal conceded by United since Samir Nasri scored for Arsenal on November 8 – a run of 1,337 minutes without letting in a goal.

Interestingly, however, it was not Dutchman Edwin van der Sar who was beaten by Santa Cruz but deputy Tomasz Kuszczak, named in the starting line-up by Sir Alex Ferguson as he rested his first choice.

United, seeking a 16th win in their last 17 league and cup games, looked destined for another comfortable outing when Wayne Rooney?s 14th goal of the season gave them a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute.

It was a trademark, devastatingly simple United goal, with full-back Rafael finding Nani out wide and the midfielder curling in a cross which eluded defender Ryan Nelsen and presented Rooney with a simple finish from the six-yard line.

That marked the end of a dominant opening from United in which Ronaldo’s crossing and Rooney’s power constantly threatened to carve out openings.

But United failed to make their superior possession count and were made to pay as Rovers claimed an unlikely equaliser.

Nani was guilty of a lack of concentration in midfield and lost the ball to Andre Ooijer.

The defender surged forward before slipping through a pass for Santa Cruz and, after Rio Ferdinand and Kuszczak seemed to get in each other?s way, the Paraguay forward rounded the keeper and scored from a narrow angle.

The champions thought they had regained the lead just before the interval when Jonny Evans headed in Nani’s corner but referee Howard Webb ruled out the effort for a push.

The stalemate set up a superbly entertaining second half in which relegation-threatened Blackburn gave almost as good as they received from their more illustrious hosts.

In fact, Keith Andrews should have equalised after 52 minutes when Ooijer helped on Morten Gamst Pedersen’s long throw-in but the eventual effort was a tame header directed straight at Kuszczak.

Pedersen then saw a shot deflected off Ferdinand and behind for a corner before an extraordinary passage of play in which Andrews set up Ryan Nelsen for a shot which struck the foot of the post with El-Hadji Diouf striking the rebound directly at the United keeper.

It was time for Ronaldo to settle United nerves and he did so, emphatically, on the hour after Patrice Evra had been tripped, wide on the left of the area by Andrews.

The Portuguese winger struck a magnificent, unstoppable drive into the top corner of Paul Robinson’s net.

The drama was far from over, however, and Pedersen had what looked a perfectly valid penalty appeal rejected six minutes later as he strode towards goal and appeared to be tripped from behind by Rafael.

Ronaldo, Michael Carrick and Rooney all responded with shots of their own but United, beaten just once in their last 25 games, were in unfamiliar territory and Old Trafford in a state of high anxiety.

Stephen Warnock’s dangerous cross was cleared desperately by Evra and Pedersen’s bouncing shot was smothered by Kuszczak after an unconvincing clearance by Ferdinand.

Dimitar Berbatov should have made life more comfortable for United but instead headed over a good chance from Rooney’s cross three minutes from time.