United enter comfort zone

Even with Andy Cole left on the bench on the day of his reincarnation as an England international, Manchester United still eased themselves four points clear of the chasing pack at the top of the Premiership last night.

It was a far from vintage performance, however. Derby County deserved a point for their sterling defensive work, but Dwight Yorke's 19th goal of the season 65 minutes into a curiously uneventful evening sent United into what Alex Ferguson refers to as the comfort zone.

With United's status as the world's richest club reinforced in the latest financial league table, it was as if Ferguson was out to prove his embarrassment of talent: joining Cole on the substitutes' bench was David Beckham.

That may be ominous news for United's rivals, but they can take hope from the fact that after the same number of games last season the Mancunians were two points better off. They still finished second.

United entered this month on the back of a fabulous January. Five games brought five victories, the last of which, at Charlton on Sunday, took them top of the Premiership for the first time since early December. And, even if Yorke's last-minute winner at The Valley was cruel on Charlton, it took United's goal tally in those five games to 16 for and five against.

But Derby County also won away from home at the weekend - at Sheffield Wednesday - and Jim Smith's side arrived having lost only one game in the past 11.

So Smith has been talking quietly of a European place for the Rams this season - Derby finished only two points off a place in Europe in May - and there was some early encouragement last night when Tony Dorigo sent Kevin Harper clear of the United defence.

Sadly for Harper, though, Denis Irwin recovered a potentially dangerous situation. In that moment Irwin justified fully the new one-year contract he signed at Old Trafford yesterday.

That was the good news for United. But only 10 minutes in, there was some bad as well when Ryan Giggs limped off clutching a calf muscle gingerly. Jesper Blomqvist, the ready-made replacement, came on and United's gathering momentum was easily disturbed.

Even before Giggs' departure Jaap Stam had forced a great parry from Russell Hoult with a blistering 30-yard drive, and after 17 minutes Stam delivered another. It went narrowly wide. But in between those efforts Hoult had made a second important stop, this time from a deflected header by Paul Scholes. All in all, there was a feeling of the red tide coming in.

Yet only Arsenal and Chelsea have conceded fewer goals than Derby this season and the visitors' back three, ably supported by a cagey midfield, were showing why.

Derby stabilised to such a degree, in fact, that Paulo Wanchope hit the side netting on a 24th-minute breakaway, and not long after there was audible frustration at large in the Theatre of Dreams. That increased when Spencer Prior, having an outstanding match, produced a vital tackle to block Yorke's threatening entry into the Derby area.

All square at half-time, Smith no doubt spent the interval emphasising the importance of Derby remaining solid for those influential first 10 minutes of the second half. At the same time Ferguson would have been stressing United's need to up the tempo if Derby's composure was to be rattled.

Initially, at least, things went Smith's way. Roy Keane did produce one long-range shot that sailed over, but with the stadium silenced this was one of those moments when Ferguson and his players yearn for raucous fans rather than a respectful audience. When some noise did at last surface it was a collective howl of disappointment at Gary Neville's wayward ambition.

But, just when it seemed Derby were at their most comfortable, Nicky Butt seized on a loose ball and with a perfect, cushioned side-foot pass cut out the Derby defence as it appealed for offside. But the supposed offender, Yorke, was on-side and with one touch he clipped the ball around Hoult into the bottom corner.

The mood of the match changed at once. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had a fierce shot blocked, Keane managed to miss from six yards, and at the other end Deon Burton's introduction for Harper caused a flurry of nerves in those in front of Peter Schmeichel.

Manchester Utd: Schmeichel, G Neville, Johnsen, Stam, Irwin, Butt, Scholes, Keane, Giggs (Blomqvist 10), Yorke, Solskjaer. Subs Not Used: P Neville, Cole, May, Beckham. Goals: Yorke 65.

Derby County: Hoult, Prior, Carbonari, Stimac, Laursen, Bohinen, Powell (Hunt 80), Carsley, Dorigo, Harper (Burton 70), Wanchope. Subs Not Used: Knight, Schnoor, Christie.

Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley).