Ronaldo rocket lets Giggs finish

Manchester United maintained their perfect start to the season with a far from perfect performance against Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday. Ryan Giggs' headed goal after nine minutes proved enough to give United all three points, and a maximum twelve after four games.

But the performance was not at all classic United, as they struggled to break down a stubborn Spurs defence.Indeed, the goal stemmed from a goalkeeping error from Paul Robinson, who found a fiercely struck Cristiano Ronaldo free kick too hot to handle, spilling the ball in the path of the ever-aware Giggs to nod home off the underside of the bar.

In fairness to Robinson, the early evening sun was low in the sky and glaring directly into the England goalkeeper's face, but his manager Martin Jol would not have been happy to have conceded such a cheap goal.Spurs did create chances to equalise, but in a game of all-round poor finishing, it was not meant to be and the north Londoners travelled home empty handed.

NO COMPLAINTS
For United, there will not be too many complaints about getting all three points in the bag, but as manager Alex Ferguson knows, under-par performances such as this are all part and parcel of a championship winning season.United started well, with the effervescent Ronaldo forcing Robinson into early action with a left footed curler moments before the goal went in, but the home side as an attacking threat were rarely seen throughout the match.

Spurs could have gone into the dressing room at half time on level terms, but Edgar Davids decided to pick out Michael Dawson with a cute chipped ball through, instead of someone more attack-minded. The defender tried to lob the onrushing Edwin van der Sar, but the Dutchman's considerable height proved too much and Dawson saw his effort saved.

LACK OF CHANCES

Chances of real note were few and far between, but two fell to Spurs in the second half, and the visitors know they should have done better.Fresh from international duty, Jermain Defoe first had a gilt-edged opportunity to bury a header in the back of the net, but he could only get a shoulder on the cross and the ball ballooned over the bar.

Then, on 78 minutes, the returning Mido, usually so deadly with his head, weakly headed into the ground straight at van der Sar.And with that, Spurs' chances of getting anything from the game evaporated, leaving the majority of the 75,000 - a Premiership record - who crammed into Old Trafford to return home with a smile of their faces.

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