History picture Boro-MU

United's goalscorers celebrate at the Riverside


Paul Scholes challenges Tuncay in a hard-fought opening to the game


Ryan Giggs clinically fires United into the lead after 24 minutes


Giggs caps a memorable week by firing home from distance


Ryan is mobbed by his jubilant team-mates after opening the scoring


Five minutes after the break, Ji-sung Park lashes United into a two-goal lead


Scorer Park and architecht Rooney celebrate United's second goal

Park raring to go

Ji-sung Park is refreshed and ready to give everything as United's bid to retain the Barclays Premier League and Champions League winds towards its climax.

The Korean was given two weeks on the sidelines by Sir Alex Ferguson after his recent international exertions, a move which proved a masterstroke as Park scored United's second goal at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

With four domestic games remaining and Tuesday's Champions League semi-final trip to Arsenal looming large, Park is relishing a busy end to the season.

"I always try 100 per cent to score and to help the team win," Park told MUTV. "There are just a few games left this season so I’ll give my all on the pitch.

"We’re in a great position but it’s not finished. We must try to concentrate until the end of the season. Every single game now is a final, so we must just keep trying to win."

Saturday's win at the Riverside was achieved with a number of key players rested as Sir Alex kept one eye on Tuesday's trip to the Emirates, and Ji says the Reds are in confident mood of reaching this month's final in Rome.

"Of course everybody’s confident that we can win," said Park.

Wednesday night’s (first-leg) performance was good and a few players will be refreshed for Tuesday, so we’re all confident.

Middlesbrough 0 United 2

A near-perfect afternoon's work at the Riverside Stadium allowed United to open up a six-point lead at the head of the Barclays Premier League table, and rest a number of key players ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final trip to the Emirates Stadium.

Ryan Giggs and Ji-sung Park struck in either half to give the Reds three priceless domestic points, as the annually tricky trip to Middlesbrough evolved into a Saturday afternoon stroll on Teesside. United's defensive resolve and attacking incision bore the hallmark of champions, and barely gave the relegation-haunted hosts a sniff of encouragement.

As expected, Sir Alex Ferguson shuffled his pack with next week's clash with Arsenal at the core of his thinking. Edwin van der Sar, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and the injured Rio Ferdinand were omitted from the squad entirely, while Anderson, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez were held in reserve on the substitutes' bench.

That meant only John O'Shea, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney started after lining up against the Gunners last Wednesday, and Middlesbrough - desperate for points to stave off the very real threat of relegation - were keen to check for any signs that the Reds' collective attentions were already drifting to European matters.

There were certainly none apparent in a keenly-contested opening in which both sides harrassed the other for possession. John O'Shea had to be alert to head Jeremie Aliadiere's cross away from Stewart Downing, while Rooney drilled narrowly over from distance as the first 20 minutes carried little threat of either side opening the scoring.

Boro were the first to genuinely threaten as Marlon King fed Aliadiere deep inside the United area but, with Vidic hurtling across the box to apply vital pressure, the Frenchman could only muster a half-hit shot, which Foster saved well with his feet.

That scare sparked United into life, and within three minutes the champions had forged ahead. After Matthew Bates had brilliantly prevented Giggs from firing off a shot at the expense of a corner, the ball arrived at Vidic on the edge of the area. Bates and Kiko Macheda collided in going for the Serbian's pass and it fell to Giggs, who took a touch and sent an unstoppable low shot skidding into Brad Jones' bottom left-hand corner.

The goal took Giggs to 148 career goals for the Reds, but of more importance was that it largely extinguished the limited vim and vigour in Boro's display, and Paul Scholes might have doubled United's lead on two occasions in the dying stages of the half, but snatched both efforts wide from the edge of the area.

No matter. The Reds' dominance relented only for the interval and, after Macheda had fired Rooney's pull-back just wide, Park struck a sumptuous second goal with just five minutes of the second period gone. Crisp passing and undetectable movement characterised a delicious build-up, crowned by a superb reverse ball from Rooney which allowed Park to strike a clinical first-time effort just inside Jones' post.

The Korean had his first goal since September's strike at Chelsea, and had also secured three vital points in the ongoing title race. Boro were now devoid of any belief that they could mount a comeback, and Sir Alex gradually freshened up his team with the introduction of Carlos Tevez, Nani and Rafael for Macheda, Park and Evra.

Despite the absence of Ferdinand, United's defence was rarely troubled, and only a last-ditch challenge from David Wheater prevented Tevez from capping a winding run with a goal of his own. Similarly desperate defending allowed Robert Huth to deny O'Shea a second goal in a week, while Rooney curled a 20-yard free-kick just wide.

The earlier goals from Giggs and Park had already done enough, though, and United could canter to the finish line. A maximum of seven points from four remaining domestic games will secure a third successive league title, and attentions can now switch to Tuesday's Champions League trip to the Emirates Stadium.

Boss backs Boro manager

Sir Alex Ferguson is backing Gareth Southgate to win over his critics and keep his job, even if Middlesbrough are relegated this season.

The North-East club host United in Saturday's lunch-time fixture, a contest that means so much at both ends of the table. If the Reds win to go six points clear of Liverpool, it would push Boro closer to the dreaded drop at the end of a transitional season.

"The unfortunate thing for our industry is that when a manager has three or four bad results, the jungle drums start beating through the media," says Sir Alex.

"But I think the Middlesbrough chairman (Steve Gibson) has the courage to stick with a young manager. I think he will recognise that Gareth Southgate is progressive and ambitious and he's trying to change the face of the club by bringing young people into his set-up. I think that’s admirable.

"Gareth is thinking along the right lines of trying to rebuild the team. He let (George) Boateng and (Fabio) Rochemback go, so he's made changes to try and bring his club forward.

"Sometimes it doesn’t always work, it takes time to do these things. Maybe in a couple of years’ time people will recognise that."

Sir Alex recognises that Saturday's game could be difficult, even if the Middlesbrough team is younger than the one that reached a UEFA Cup final under Steve McClaren and became an occasional thorn in United's side in the league.

"I think all matches are difficult at this stage of the season because the pressure’s on everyone," said Sir Alex. "We were accused of playing a weakened team against West Ham one year by Neil Warnock (then Sheffield United manager).

"That possibility arises tomorrow in some games. Some clubs are safe and may want to try young players. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that as long as they put out a team that represents their club in the right way and tries to win. That’s the best way to do it."

United will certainly be trying to win every game of course and Sir Alex is confident he has the right men for the job, even if the title race with Liverpool and Chelsea comes down to the final day, Sunday 24 May, when the Reds travel to Hull City.

"We’ve proved over the years that we’ve got players at this club who can go into the last game and win it," said the boss.

"We’re very lucky to have players with the quality, the temperament and the courage to do that. Sometimes you drive players to the very limit through your motivation and desires but when you’ve got players who’ve got these same attributes, you’ve got the right people."

Teen duo eye Boro chance

With Sir Alex Ferguson looking to shuffle his pack for Saturday’s lunch-time trip to Middlesbrough, two of United's most promising young talents will hope to get their chance to shine.

It's not so much been glimpses of promise from Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda as headline-grabbing heroics. Macheda hit the back pages with recent match-winners against Aston Villa and Sunderland, while Welbeck hit a goal-of-the-season contender on his league bow against Stoke, adding two more in the FA Cup.

Both could be in contention for the crucial league match against Middlesbrough this weekend, as Sir Alex looks to rest players ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final, second leg against Arsenal.

“They’ve both been fantastic,” says the boss of Macheda and Welbeck, who have been the discoveries of the season. “I’m trying to keep them happy and feeling wanted as first-team players, which is what they are now.

“I think they have the quality and physical strength to do it, but it's not easy because when it comes to big games, players start to get fit again. Big games bring out the best of people in terms of not being injured, believe me!”

Welbeck, 18, and Macheda, 17, didn’t make the bench for Arsenal match on Wednesday, but they could play a vital role on Teesside, either from the start or as a substitute.

“It’s been very difficult with seven substitutes, and everyone available, and I've tried to use one or the other as one of my options. We were delighted with their performances at Wembley against Everton,” added Sir Alex. “They have both done really well and they could be involved on Saturday.”