Giggs himself also forced Bosnich into a smart low save after cutting inside.Otherwise United troubled Bosnich scarcely at all, Roy Keane's long shot coming closest, and showed a reluctance to test the goalkeeper. Villa's lack of ambition at the other end hardly aided the spectacle.In the first half, Gary Charles's cross had Peter Schmeichel back-pedalling to tip the ball over, a feat he repeated with Mark Draper's speculative shot. He was less sure under another cross by Charles and, having dropped it, was deservedly booked for manhandling his challenger Ian Taylor. In the second, only Alan Wright's volley forced Schmeichel into a save. Both sides need better finishing if they are to close that gap.. Neither did United, again without Gary Pallister in the back four and David Beckham suspended, do much to lift them.United were frequently thwarted in attempts to find a way through or around Villa's three-man central defence and only Ryan Giggs on the right offered any real inspiration. That 2-0 win over Newcastle at Christmas is beginning to feel like a long time ago.Mostly the Old Trafford crowd was quiet and flat, as if knowing the importance of the game and fearing the worst.
If he hoped that a resounding win would improve confidence for Tuesday's FA Cup replay at Sunderland, he was disappointed. Not interested in entertaining."In his programme notes, the United manager made clear the importance of yesterday's match: it was no exaggeration to say that the whole season could hinge on the outcome, he wrote. "We didn't plan to come here and defend, we have been pretty adventurous all season, but it was just that when we got the ball forward it kept coming back at us.They missed the ability of Dwight Yorke, absent on Trinidad duty, to retain possession, he said In addition, some players looked heavy-legged Ferguson was less forgiving "Aston Villa were really dour," he said "Uncompromising. It was Villa's fourth consecutive clean sheet this year but on a day when United looked ready for roasting, they could well have won had they turned up the heat."I am pleased to keep a clean sheet but I haven't enjoyed the match that much," admitted the Villa manager Brian Little. People are falling at hurdles every week."One of the challengers could yet be Aston Villa. Yesterday they defended stoutly, with Ugo Ehiogu letting Cole slip his leash only the twice, Gareth Southgate frequently frustrating Eric Cantona and Paul McGrath competently tidying up between them.
The leaders' away form may be concerning them but they will face their match at Coventry today in a less troubled state of mind with their challengers currently so inconsistent."It's a bad one for us today," admitted Ferguson, who saw some comfort nevertheless "But it's funny It's starting to look like the Grand National. At one point Cantona shrugged and gestured at his striking partner - whose gaze was elsewhere. After the second miss, all looked towards the United bench.So, in the end, United could only narrow the gap on Newcastle by one point to six. For the first, Butt's instant cross left Cole with a free header eight yards out, only for him to put the ball well wide. It was a glaring miss matched only by his error in the second half, when he drove wide left-footed after being supplied by Butt again. "He should be hitting the target from that distance," the Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson, said. "Andy's been told before 'at least hit the target' but I don't want to criticise individuals."However, the body language of others spoke volumes.
Cole headed and shot either side of the goal with two good chances. AFTER his recent flurry of four goals in four matches, Andy Cole was back to his previous persona this season - a missed chance about to happen - and Manchester United were left as championship contenders in pedigree only. Downes, who is coached by the former world 10,000 metre record-holder David Bedford, pipped Dominic Bannister Cheshire's Suzanne Rigg won the women's race. The men's team title went to North-East Counties, while Yorkshire won the women's event.. Athletics The London-based Irishman John Downes won the Reebok inter-counties cross- country title at Luton yesterday.
Lisa Lomas moved to the brink of a place in this summer's Olympics with an inspired victory over the Italian No 1, Alessia Arisi, in the European Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manchester yesterday. The Bedfordshire- based Lomas, the England No 2, extended her unbeaten run to six matches with a fine 21-19 21-10 21-7 win and now looks certain to qualify. In the men's competition the England No 1, Matthew Syed, pulled off one of the best victories of his career last night by beating the 1991 world champion Jorgen Persson and so boosted his hopes of qualifying for Atlanta. But Syed must beat Greece's Ntaniel Tsiokas to qualify, following the Englishman's defeat by French No 3 Damien Eloi on Friday.