EPL [ 8 ] : Birmingham 0 - 1 Manchester United

Barclays Premier League
St. Andrews, Sat 29 September

BIRMINGHAM CITY 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 1
(Ronaldo 51)

It wasn't vintage United but a second-half Cristiano Ronaldo strike gave the Reds victory at St. Andrews against a resilient Birmingham City.

Steve Bruce's side arguably created the better chances, but Ronaldo, in his 100th league match for United, was again the match-winner away from home. However, the Reds looked shaky at the back early on, and Sir Alex will be concerned by losing Edwin van der Sar to a toe injury. The Dutchman fell awkwardly after a routine save and was forced off at the break. The United boss made wholesale changes to the side that lost to Coventry in the Carling Cup on Wednesday, with all 11 who started in the Reds' victory over Chelsea returning to action.

Van der Sar, aiming to keep his sixth consecutive clean sheet, was among them, although he wouldn't have expected to be called into action in the first minute, and certainly not after a Paul Scholes error. But the Reds' No.18 was caught in possession, allowing Cameron Jerome to stride towards goal and let fly with a shot that required quick reactions from the goalkeeper. Frank Queudrue was first to meet the resulting corner, and his powerful downward header forced another smart save from van der Sar.

United had come out of the traps sluggishly but not even those early scares jolted the Reds into life. The home side continued to fashion the better chances and went even closer on 18 minutes when Gary McSheffrey's header was cleared off the line by Rio Ferdinand. In truth, the opportunity should never have presented itself. Patrice Evra, under close attention from former Arsenal trainee Sebastian Larsson, was careless in shepherding the ball out of play. The Swede nipped in to dispossess the United left back and clip the ball to the far post, where McSheffrey headed back across goal only for Ferdinand to hook clear.

At the other end, Cristiano Ronaldo, who'd earlier drawn a foul that earned Queudrue the game's first booking, twisted and turned on the edge of the box before firing a low drive straight at Blues goalkeeper Maik Taylor. It was the first time the Reds had really threatened in a match many expected them to win comfortably. But, just ask Liverpool, Birmingham are no pushovers. At Anfield last weekend, Bruce's side came away with a 0-0 draw after a spirited and robust display. At St. Andrews there was more of the same, with an added attacking element thrown in. Jerome and Olivier Kapo were lively up front, with McSheffrey providing plenty of support.

In contrast, United looked strangely blunt, with neither Wayne Rooney nor Carlos Tevez able to find a way past the Blues' back four. Even so, there was more cause for concern at the back, especially after van der Sar required treatment on his toe. Shortly afterwards the Dutchman left his area to deal with a through ball and scuffed his clearance straight to Jerome. Fortunately the 20-year-old forward couldn't muster enough elevation in his strike to clear Nemanja Vidic.

Van der Sar was visibly struggling, so Ferdinand assumed responsibility for the goal kicks until Polish stopper Tomasz Kuszczak came on at the interval. The Reds emerged brighter in the second half and good work from Ryan Giggs and Tevez on the left side of the penalty area ended with the Argentinian forcing a routine save from Blues goalkeeper Taylor. Moments later, Taylor was picking the ball out of the net as United shot into the lead. Ronaldo pounced on sloppy Queudrue defending on the edge of the box before confidently rounding Taylor and finishing with his left foot. It was the Portuguese winger's first league goal from open play since February and it gave the Reds a vital, if not wholly deserved, lead.

Kuszczak showed his worth on 56 minutes when a McSheffrey shot skipped off Ferdinand and looked set for the net before the Polish goalkeeper intervened with a flying save at the near post. McSheffrey then saw a free kick fizz inches wide of the post before Rooney had a shot cleared off the line and Tevez blasted over from 18 yards. The Reds were growing in confidence with every passing minute and Ronaldo perhaps should have had a second on 80 minutes when he skewed a shot wide from 12 yards. In the end, his first strike was enough to secure all three points and send United second in the league, despite a display that was neither convincing nor comfortable. But the statisticians – Sir Alex, too – will care only for the final result.

Team Line-ups

United: van der Sar (Kuszczak 45); Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo, Giggs (Saha 64); Tevez (O'Shea 89), Rooney.
Subs not used: Anderson, Pique

Birmingham: Taylor; Kelly, Djourou (Schmitz 76), Ridgewell, Queudrue; Larsson, Nafti (O'Connor 84), Muamba (Palacios 71), McSheffrey; Kapo, Jerome.
Subs not used: Kingson, Danns.

Attendance: 26,526