© FA Carling Premiership
 
   Ferguson's team finally hit their stride to extend Liverpool's Old
Trafford misery
 
   United deliver perfect response
 
   LIVERPOOL 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 2
   BY KEVIN MCCARRA
 
   IN THE midst of all the welter of action, there can be a single
   incident with which a team reasserts its prowess. Manchester United
   savoured the moment last night when they at last broke a vigorous
   Liverpool side that had been in hard pursuit of an equaliser
   throughout the long spell in which they lagged by a single goal. A
   move that exuded supreme quality was to eclipse the visitors' pride.
 
   With 11 minutes left, a Liverpool corner was cleared and the astute
   Yorke fired a pass down the left for Cole, the substitute. Pace and a
   feint with the shoulder took him beyond Babb and, when Fowler failed
   to clear the low cross, Scholes lashed a thrilling left-footed shot
   high into the net.
 
   Here was a match to explore the revitalising effects of enmity. These
   rivals must have welcomed the sight of one another, even if it is
   whimsical to perceive any hint of an embrace when they grapple. Each
   club had lately experienced discouragement, but torpor was certain to
   be cleansed from the body in an FA Carling Premiership fixture of such
   purifying competitiveness.
 
   Liverpool had endured chagrin over the 3-3 draw with Charlton Athletic
   on Saturday, but United were aghast to have lost 3-0 to Arsenal 24
   hours later. The more severe of those experiences produced the
   stronger reaction. At the outset, it was Alex Ferguson's side that set
   the quick tempo and revelled in its impact.
 
   A television documentary had captured the manager's allegation that
   Ince, a former United player, was "a big-time Charlie". For the
   Liverpool captain and the rest of his team, there was, if it had ever
   been required, a brief refresher course in humility. Confronted by
   criticism, however, Ince delivered a riposte with his deeds. His
   tenacity was unflagging. It was, all the same, United who possessed
   conclusive strength.
 
   Mindful of the danger of Owen, Ferguson decided that youth must be
   countered by youth and Gary Neville operated at centre back. Neville
   and Stam were to exert great influence, even if it took some time for
   the merits of Ferguson's plan to be assessed. In the 45th minute,
   McManaman slipped a delicately weighted pass into the path of Owen.
   His run was to advance no further than the few steps that took him
   into Neville's sharp tackle.
 
   Efficiency was decidedly less prominent in the visitors' rearguard.
   Assiduous work on the training ground can never ward off the sort of
   misadventure that occurred when United moved ahead in the nineteenth
   minute.
 
   There was a hint of the problems to come when Solskjaer's 20-yard shot
   slithered away from Friedel, the goalkeeper, for a corner. Beckham hit
   it deep and Friedel's punch was inconclusive. As the ball dropped
   towards Scholes and McAteer, the latter unwisely raised his arm to
   make contact. Irwin tucked the penalty in with ease, encapsulating
   United's confidence.
 
   There is so much buffeting in a contest such as this that any mood is
   at risk of being jostled aside. Liverpool forged assertiveness in the
   heat of a first half that saw them collect four of the six bookings.
   Even if the exertion was not always matched by incisiveness, the
   visitors' endeavour demanded respect and caused United concern.
 
   Ferguson's side could have extended their lead, after 47 minutes, when
   Giggs's back-heel opened up the space from which Solskjaer sent his
   finish slipping wide of the post, but they were often pinned down.
   Compelled to linger in defence, they were forced to draw on all their
   steadfastness, as well as a little good fortune.
 
   When McAteer broke on the right to deliver a cross that fell to
   Berger, it was chance that saw the deflection on his drive carry the
   ball to the hands of Schmeichel. The unrelenting nature of the
   conflict was typified by the duel between captains who fulfil their
   roles like warriors. The exchanges between Keane and Ince were harsh,
   yet free of complaint.
 
   Emotions were not always contained with such ease and Beckham was to
   give Redknapp a heated rebuke after one coarse challenge. No matter
   the bruises, such intemperate events suited United, in as much as they
   demonstrated that the cohesion, and the threat, were beginning to
   diminish as concentration flagged.
 
   It took a peculiar mistake to bring Liverpool to the verge of an
   equaliser. McAteer's cut-back reached Berger, who steadied himself
   before directing an attempt straight at Schmeichel. The ball then
   bounced out of his grasp and into the path of Riedle, who knocked it
   into the net. The goal was disallowed because the German forward had
   been offside when Berger shot.
 
   Such an episode was out of keeping with a United performance that
   depended on intense discipline. Ferguson had said that his team would
   be judged by its reaction to the adversity of the past week. In this
   victory, with Scholes's magnificent crowning goal, they delivered bad
   news to any foes who believed that United's formidable force of
   character had been lost.
 
   MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): P Schmeichel - P Neville, J Stam, G
   Neville, D Irwin - D Beckham, R Keane, P Scholes (sub: N Butt, 88min),
   R Giggs - D Yorke, O G Solskjaer (sub: A Cole, 69).
 
   LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): B Friedel - J McAteer, J Carragher, P Babb, S I
   Bjornebye - S McManaman, P Ince, J Redknapp, P Berger - K Riedle (sub:
   R Fowler, 75), M Owen.
 
   Referee: S Lodge.