Paul Scholes' 100th Premier League goal was enough for Manchester
United to climb back to the top of the table.
Scholes settled a tense encounter with Wolves at Molineux 17
minutes from time, when he kept a cool head to beat Marcus
Hahnemann after Jody Craddock's clearance had fallen nicely for the
veteran midfielder.
Sir Alex Ferguson will hope the goal helps persuade Scholes
to sign a one-year contract extension he is presently stalling
over.
However, Ferguson will also be fretting on the fitness of
Wayne Rooney after watching Sam Vokes waste a glorious chance to
equalise in stoppage time.
Alan Shearer is the loudest voice to claim Rooney has been
carrying United this season, but he certainly is not the only one
to think that way.
This was a chance for his team-mates to prove otherwise, as
Rooney did not even make the bench, his manager rating his talisman
"a big doubt" to face AC Milan on Wednesday.
Instead, their efforts merely confirmed Shearer's view.
Isolated up front, Dimitar Berbatov failed to get involved as
Rooney would have done. After a three-match ban, Nani appeared to
have regressed to his maddening form of old and Antonio Valencia
was little better on the other side.
Darron Gibson was the only United player to threaten the
Wolves goal and the Irishman's efforts were more typical of a
tourist at a seaside shooting gallery, peppering his shots
everywhere without getting close to winning a prize.
Gibson's best effort was the shot he prodded wide after a
poor Nani free-kick had bounced into his path off Berbatov.
It was Wolves, though, who carried the greater threat.
Having angered the Premier League with his team selection at
Old Trafford in the reverse fixture last December, there was never
a chance of Mick McCarthy leaving players out this time.
And why would he?
United might have been aiming for top spot but they have
hardly been convincing this term and on their previous visits to
newly-promoted clubs were beaten at Burnley and drew at Birmingham.
Former Red Devil David Jones was set up by Matt Jarvis
following a forceful run from the excellent Kevin Doyle and might
have tested Edwin van der Sar had it not been for Michael Carrick's
saving tackle.
Stephen Ward had the golden opportunity though.
Jarvis was again the provider, after darting down the right
on the overlap. His deep cross found Ward completely unmarked and
he only had to beat Van der Sar to score but he nodded tamely
straight at the veteran Dutchman.
The introduction of Gary Neville at the break might not have
been an obvious attacking move but the experienced full-back helped
his side get a measure of control for the first time.
Patrice Evra and Michael Carrick both had chances and Jody
Craddock also needed to act fast to rob Berbatov after Wolves had
got their offside trap all wrong as they attempted to defend a
Carrick cross.
Ferguson was then deeply unhappy at Nani being flattened by
Jody Craddock as he raced forward trying to support Valencia, who
had galloped down the wing.
It was not entirely a one-sided contest. Jarvis flashed a
shot wide after cutting in from the left flank and Nemanja Vidic
was booked for chopping down Karl Henry.
But United were the ones on top, their efforts just
emphasising the guile they were missing in Rooney.
In Scholes though, they have a player who will be remembered
years from now, for both invention and goals.
Finding the net has proved a problem in recent seasons for
the midfielder.
This year though, there have been signs of that old instinct
returning.
And when Craddock drilled Nani's low cross straight to the
former England man he had the common sense not to rush, instead
nipping past the defender's desperate lunge before drilling his
shot into the far corner.
It brought up his century of Premier League goals and his
148th overall for United.
Far more importantly, it left them staring down at their
rivals from that familiar position on the Premier League summit.
Mame Biram Diouf could not add to the lead when he failed to
find the target with a free header.
But United have flexed their muscles, even if Rooney will be
needed to land the winning punches.
