United rescued by Scholes and Yorke

Ferguson's trust in home form rewarded as late goals undo Dutch damage and reclaim control of the group

As befits the title of one of their manager's books, nothing so sums up Manchester United as their will to win.

As befits the title of one of their manager's books, nothing so sums up Manchester United as their will to win.

"For a few minutes we had the opportunity to dream but now we have gone away with nothing," sighed Erik Gerets, who had seen his side dramatically equalise in a move that would have upset every one of Sir Alex Ferguson's calculations before a thundering drive from Paul Scholes and a 30-yard run that brought Dwight Yorke's first goal of the season restored the natural order of things.

Poetically, given the criticism Ferguson sustained after fielding a weakened team in Eindhoven, it exactly reversed the result in the Philips Stadion. As Blackburn, Newcastle and Chelsea have discovered to their cost, sides that sting United are usually brought to book.

This result, coupled with Dynamo Kiev's unexpected destruction at the hands of Anderlecht, ensured Manchester United are top of their group and, should they win in Brussels on Tuesday, any fleeting, unwelcome thoughts of joining Liverpool in the Uefa Cup will have been replaced by preparations for the second group stage.

United might have won by a greater margin but Ferguson noted that some second-half slackness and a flurry of squandered chances, particularly by Teddy Sheringham, who drove over from close range before the interval, had led his side into trouble. When Mark van Bommel hammered Theo Lucius's pull-back home with some 15 minutes remaining, it seemed that, in Gerets' words, "PSV would have done miracles". His opposite number remarked: "I thought we were going to cut our own throats. And I wish they had scored earlier because it woke us up."

Juan Fernandez Marin, last night's referee, is a psychologist by profession and the way Ferguson prepared for this encounter would have given the Spaniard plenty of research material. The United manager, as he usually does before vital matches, had personalised the contest, implying that PSV's home victory which had thrown this group into a state of flux was achieved partly through diving, time-wasting and other un-British methods.

The way United began the game, tearing into the PSV defence, indicated their manager's words had achieved their aim.The big guns were rolled out, trained on their targets and took just eight minutes to find the range. Significantly, three of United's clearest chances in the opening quarter of an hour were fashioned by men who had not started in Eindhoven: Cole, Sheringham and Beckham.

It was the former Tottenham striker who found the net after a mere eight minutes had elapsed, rising above a clutch of defenders to meet Beckham's corner so effortlessly that it seemed to be in slow motion.

Ryan Giggs and Beckham, the men whose absence had lifted PSV players last month, were constant and sometimes brilliantly-inventive menaces, especially in the first 20 minutes when the Dutch defence was stretched almost to breaking point. Twice they were foolish enough to present Beckham with free-kicks on the edge of the area as Cole and Sheringham were hauled down. The second was beaten away but the first forced Ronald Waterreus into a fine, two-handed save.

It was not just at the back that PSV found themselves under pressure; Arnold Bruggink, their leading scorer, was taken off after less than half an hour with an ankle injury and the main Dutch threat came from Adil Ramzi, their Marrakesh-born striker, whose work-rate was not matched by clear-cut opportunities. He was hauled off by Gerets after less than 20 minutes of a second half in which United occasionally gave glimpses of the liquid movement on and off the ball that usually makes them an irresistible force at Old Trafford.

Beckham, marking his 50th European game with a virtuoso performance, still threatened with free-kicks, driving one in from the right in the 51st minute that Ronny Johnsen's header propelled against the crossbar while another cross was deflected wide by Sheringham.

There were less than 15 minutes left when Old Trafford exploded into life as Eindhoven scored with virtually their first shot on target. Anxiety proved only temporary. Their wealth and success has often meant PSV being referred to as the "Manchester United of Holland". Last night they were given a lesson by the real thing.

Manchester United (4-4-2): Barthez; Irwin (Brown, 80), G Neville, Johnsen, Silvestre; Beckham (Butt, 87), Keane, Scholes, Giggs; Sheringham (Yorke, 73), Cole. Substitutes not used: P Neville, Fortune, Solksjaer, Bosnich (gk).

PSV Eindhoven (4-1-3-2): Waterreus; Heintze, Hofland, Nikiforov, Van der Weerden; Vogel; Ramzi (Kolkka, 64), Van Bommel, Van der Doelen (De Jong, 72); Kezman, Bruggink (Lucius, 28). Substitutes not used: Lodewijks (gk), Ooijer, Dirkx, Rommedahl.

Referee: J A Fernandez Marin (Spain).