Scholes sends United to Premier League summit

Paul Scholes scored the only goal as Manchester United moved two points clear ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory away to Wolves.

With Chelsea – who started the weekend as league leaders – in FA Cup action against Stoke on Sunday, United capitalised with a hard-earned win at Molineux.

Wolves dominated for long spells but former England midfielder Scholes, 35, came up with a winner, his 100th Premier League goal, 17 minutes from time.

Mick McCarthy’s men have won just once in 10 matches and are now only a point above the relegation zone as they look to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

McCarthy, much criticised for fielding a weakened side during United’s 3-0 league win in December, saw him his team have this match’s first chance through Kevin Doyle.

The Irish striker was clipped by Wes Brown as he broke into the United half but got back on his feet and was picked out by a cross from Matthew Jarvis only to drill just wide of goal.

With Dimitar Berbatov on his own in an attack missing Wayne Rooney after the England striker was ruled out with a longstanding knee injury, United’s best early efforts came on the break.

Antonio Valencia thumped a shot into the side-netting after he was sent through by Darron Gibson and Nani then drove wide from Berbatov’s drag-back. Wolves were lucky not to concede a penalty when Karl Henry dragged Gibson to the floor as the Irishman tried to get to Nani’s deflected free kick.

Another United counter-attack saw Valencia release Berbatov and the Bulgarian cross for Gibson, whose thumping effort was held by Marcus Hahnemann.

England midfielder Michael Carrick’s low shot was also held by Hahnemann but Wolves finally tested Edwin van der Sar with a fine move.

Doyle burst past Nemanja Vidic into the United half and knocked wide to Jarvis, who pulled the ball back rather than shooting, and David Jones’s shot was easily held by van der Sar.

Wolves spurned an even better opportunity when Jarvis’s cross picked out Stephen Ward unmarked but the defender headed straight at Dutch keeper van der Sar from six yards.

United replaced Wes Brown with Gary Neville at the interval but threatened straight from the restart.

Valencia beat Ward easily and picked out Berbatov with a low cross but his shot was blocked by Christophe Berra.

Henry dragged wide from just outside the area and Patrice Evra was blocked by Jody Craddock at the end of a powerful run.

Valencia was tormenting Ward and another cross from the right was glanced wide of goal by Nani.

But United pulled in front with just over a quarter of an hour left.

Nani’s cross picked out the veteran midfielder and after Berra failed to close him down, Scholes found the corner of Hahnemann’s net.

Mame Biram Diouf should have made the game safe for United but headed wide from a Neville cross when he was unmarked at the far post.

South Korean star Park Ji-sung, another substitute, passed up a late chance to put the game beyond doubt.

And Wolves substitute Sam Vokes should have punished United by equalising in added time but instead shot over from six yards out.