Victory puts United six points clear

12 April 2012

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo plunged himself into further controversy as the Barclays Premiership leaders claimed a 2-1 win at Middlesbrough.

Referee Chris Foy awarded United a 19th-minute penalty after Ronaldo had gone down under keeper Mark Schwarzer's challenge, although replays suggested the anger of the home fans was justified.

Louis Saha exorcised the ghost of his Champions League miss against Celtic by sliding home the spot-kick, but United were pegged back on 66 minutes when substitute James Morrison equalised. However, United needed less than two minutes to restore their advantage, Darren Fletcher heading home the winner.

That United deserved to lead at half-time was not in any doubt, but the way in which they achieved it left a sour taste in the mouths of the home fans.

Saha turned just inside the Boro half to race past Jonathan Woodgate and slide a pass to the unmarked Ronaldo. He took the ball in his stride and cut inside Schwarzer, plummeting to the ground in the process.

Foy pointed immediately to the spot, but what contact there was, if any, was minimal. However, Saha stroked the spot-kick past Schwarzer to make it 1-0.

Boro might have been level within two minutes, but Abel Xavier hit a post with a header from Stewart Downing's free-kick in his first home game since his drugs ban expired.

However, Morrison struck on 66 minutes when Downing cleverly evaded Gary Neville's challenge to cross and Gabriel Heinze's weak header fell to the midfielder, who volleyed past Edwin van der Sar to level.

But Boro's joy was short-lived and ended within two minutes as Ryan Giggs picked put Fletcher's run into the box after Ronaldo had left the Boro defence standing and the Scot headed powerfully home.

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