United concede more ground

PREMIERSHIP/Fulham - 1 Manchester United - 1: A late goal from Papa Bouba Diop, sent swerving in off Roy Carroll's post from some 20 yards, further hindered Manchester United's Premiership quest last night even if it has not totally scuppered the former champions' chances.

United may look as if they are lost in the pack, but they might still feel as if that position is a useful hiding place. Even if it still needs Chelsea, in particular, to suffer a crisis, Alex Ferguson's players can tell themselves there are better days to come.

And even if the outside world is rationing the accolades, United are now starting to have more cause to be pleased with themselves. Even the absence of Ruud van Nistelrooy, once more bedevilled by a calf strain, did not reduce the attacking to banality. In one three-minute spell, they stepped up the pressure relentlessly to take the lead.

After half an hour a Ryan Giggs cross was partially cleared and Roy Keane made an almost perfect connection with his drive. The merest fraction of inaccuracy had the ball cannoning off Edwin van der Sar's left-hand post.

Soon after, a Wayne Rooney shot tested the solidity of the other post after a delightful turn and pass by Alan Smith.

The tenacious aspect of the latter's talent was instrumental to the breakthrough in the 33rd minute. Following a Cristano Ronaldo run and cutback, Smith's initial attempt was blocked by Liam Rosenior, who was deputising for the suspended Moritz Volz, but the United striker then chased Sylvain Legwinski. The Frenchman suffered the professional indignity of being dispossessed in his own penalty area.

Smith then doubled back and lashed a finish low across Van der Sar after first nutmegging Rosenior. The young Fulham defender had to tolerate that gallingly educational experience on his Premiership debut but most of his team-mates were at least as ill-at-ease at one stage or another.

United, with Rooney and Giggs alternating between the left and the centre, were hard to pin down. The stationing of Papa Bouba Diop ahead of the back four merely seemed to make Fulham sit deep and Keane's surges showed how much he appreciated the licence the visitors had been handed.

The difficulties with the power supply in the area appeared to have dimmed the floodlights a little and there was insufficient brightness to Chris Coleman's team before the interval.

A spin away from Mikael Silvestre by Andrew Cole, on his 350th League appearance, had the quality to alarm his old club but the striker pulled his shot well wide.

Affairs could hardly remain so sedate. The home side, a goal behind, were bound to recognise that audacity was in their own interests. The second half opened with the three more progressive midfielders getting within hailing distance of the attack. Diop slightly misdirected a header from Mark Pembridge's corner and Roy Carroll tipped it over.

Cole relished the fact that he was no longer a lonely figure stamping his feet to keep warm. The heat was back in his abilities and few other forwards could have turned Rio Ferdinand as comprehensively as he did before smacking his finish off the same post that Keane had bashed earlier.

The potential of Coleman's side was especially apparent because Steed Malbranque was able to get possession more often and use it to sharper effect. United, all the same, were far from being bombarded. Keane cannot be the remorselessly effective captain he once was, but this was proving to be one of those nights when he closely resembled his former self.

Even so, the openings were not as easy for United to fashion as they had been in the first half. When they verged on extending their lead in the 71st minutes it was with a free-kick by Gabriel Heinze that flew within a yard of the target. They were to regret their leniency by the end.

Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, sidelined with a knee injury this year, said he hopes to be back on the pitch by autumn. "My knee feels good," he said yesterday. "I'm doing what I'm told to do. Before too long, I'll be able to run, too. I just know that I'll get a chance again, as long as I do everything right."

FULHAM: Van der Sar, Rosenior, Pearce, Rehman, Bocanegra, Malbranque (John 83), Legwinski (Radzinski 74), Pembridge, Diop, Cole, McBride. Subs Not Used: Flitney, Knight, Hammond. Booked: Diop, Radzinski. Goal: Diop 87.

MANCHESTER UTD: Carroll, Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze, Ronaldo, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Smith, Rooney. Subs Not Used: Howard, Bellion, O'Shea, Fletcher, Fortune. Booked: Silvestre. Goal: Smith 33. Attendance: 21,940

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).