Fulham 1 Manchester United 2: Ronaldo rewards United's desire to keep fighting

Sir Alex Ferguson described this afterwards as Manchester United's "most difficult game of the season". With three minutes remaining, it seemed United had escaped with a 1-1 draw, rather than the defeat they deserved against a Fulham side that stifled them at crucial stages.

Then Cristiano Ronaldo collected the ball inside his own half. Quick thinking helped him evade Clint Dempsey and a burst of acceleration left Moritz Volz trailing. Approaching the 18-yard box, Ronaldo's graceful swerve confused the back-tracking Philippe Christanval, meaning that the Portugal winger's subsequent strike deflected in off the disorientated defender.

The goal's effect on United's morale was cathartic. Ronaldo and team-mates charged towards a delirious dugout. They knew that it is moments such as these that decide the destiny of league titles.

"When the ball hit the back of the net, it was a fantastic feeling," said Ronaldo. "We know how important the goal was - myself, my team-mates, the coaches and the fans. After the Champions League, we were a bit tired. We knew this game was so important." Edwin Van der Sar had kept United in the game before Ronaldo's winner, with several outstanding saves. "These are the games that decide if you are going to be champions," said Van der Sar. "Chelsea will have been focused on their game against Arsenal but I know for sure they will have watched this game and it's a statement to them that we are determined not to let it slip."

It could be argued that, rather than Ronaldo or Van der Sar, it was Ferguson who won this game with two tactical decisions while it was 1-1. In the 66th minute, he replaced the ineffective Michael Carrick with Louis Saha. Wayne Rooney dropped back to left-midfield and Ryan Giggs was moved across into the centre. That meant all of United's most attack-minded players were fielded at the same time.

This was not desperate all-out attacking, though. Ferguson was cool-headed enough to see that Rooney was failing to outmanoeuvre Volz in the new system and responded by moving Ronaldo to the left. After 88 minutes, Ferguson's prescience paid off.

Earlier, Fulham manager Chris Coleman had shown his perceptiveness by using Michael Brown at the tip of the Fulham midfield diamond with Alexei Smertin at its base. Fulham pressed high up the field. The result was that Brown completely nullified Carrick's creativity.

Having dominated the early stages, Fulham deservedly took the lead although it took an uncharacteristic mix-up between Van der Sar and Nemanja Vidic to gift Brian McBride his chance to score. "It was not good judgement to come out," admitted Van der Sar.

The visitors were brought back into the match by Giggs, who started the move that led to his equaliser. He found Rooney on the left, who returned the favour with a swirling cross to the back post - Giggs mis-hit the volley but it still went in.

Fulham proceeded to dominate, though, with Tomasz Radzinski hitting the bar. Simon Davies was twice thwarted when a goal seemed imminent. The final frustration that the Dutch goalkeeper brought on Fulham was in the dying moments when he collided with Heidar Helguson. Coleman was furious, heavily criticising referee Peter Walton for not giving a penalty.

Afterwards Coleman admitted that his team's own success indirectly led to their downfall. "I think Alex moved Giggs because he can also burst from the centre, but also because we were stifling Carrick and [Paul] Scholes a bit," he said.

Giggs was a slight doubt to start, with an ankle worry, while Ronaldo recovered in time from a foot injury that was not helped during this encounter. "I don't know how many times he's been fouled," said Ferguson. "But it's an awful lot." It proved lucky for United that both managed to produce an energetic 90 minutes. Fortune favours the brave.

Goals: McBride (17) 1-0; Giggs (29) 1-1; Ronaldo (88) 1-2.

Fulham (4-4-2): Lastuvka; Volz, Bocanegra, Christanval, Rosenior; Radzinski (John, 72), Brown, Diop (Dempsey, 71), Smertin; Davies, McBride (Helguson, 79). Substitutes Not Used: Warner, Routledge Booked: Brown, Radzinski, Diop

Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic (O'Shea, 59), Evra (Silvestre, 67); Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick (Saha, 66), Giggs; Rooney, Larsson. Substitutes Not Used: Kuszczak, Park.

Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire)

Booked: Fulham: Brown, Radzinski, Diop. United: Ferdinand, Scholes.

Man of the match: Ronaldo

Attendance: 24,459.

Neville's omission was 'tactical', says Ferguson

Gary Neville's second fallout with Sir Alex Ferguson in two months, in which he is believed to have sworn at his manager, may have contributed to his omission from the Manchester United squad against Fulham on Saturday. Ferguson cited tactical reasons for dropping his captain.

In December, Neville was ruled out for six weeks with a calf injury but returned after only missing the matches against Wigan and Reading.

The former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty, said of Neville: "He's a good captain and a good professional. In a moment of frustration, Gary maybe said something. But nobody was worse than Fergie when he was a player."

Ferguson said: "I thought Fulham were going to play six of their big, tall players so I opted to play Wes Brown. But when I saw the Fulham team sheet, they'd only played three of them. I got that one wrong, didn't I?"

The former United player Gordon McQueen said the strength in depth in Ferguson's squad helped him to drop Neville: "You are talking about bringing in an international [Brown], not some novice."

Ferguson is reportedly planning to leave out Neville again tomorrow night for the FA Cup replay against Reading.