Carrick seals United victory

Having failed to capitalise on Wayne Rooney's ninth-minute opener, United were forced to survive a few worrying second-half moments before wrapping up victory.

And, not the for the first time, they had Paul Scholes to thank, marking his landmark 600th appearance with the superb pass that set up Carrick for the crucial second.

The first goal came early on when Anderson sent Ryan Giggs flying down the left flank with a brilliant reverse pass that found the Welshman just onside. Giggs calmly rolled his cross along the six-yard box, where Rooney gleefully tapped him.

United failed to convert a series of excellent chances, the best of which fell to Giggs.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the provider with a low cross from the right. Giggs deft chip sailed over David James but bounced agonisingly wide of the post.

Substitute John O'Shea, who replaced Gary Neville shortly after Rooney's opener, had a header cleared off the line by Nadir Belhadj, with Giggs spurning another opportunity after Rooney had sent him through, United's stand-in skipper firing straight at James.

Edwin van der Sar had to keep out a mis-hit volley from Peter Crouch and a far more dangerous header from the same man that seemed destined for the bottom corner.

Rooney would have restored a sense of calm if he had finished instead of firing straight at James after shrugging off the attentions of Glen Johnson to reach Van der Sar's long punt forward.

Yet Portsmouth's urgency left Ferguson to conclude neither Carlos Tevez nor Dimitar Berbatov would be needed, bringing on Michael Carrick instead to help steady the ship. The tactic worked a dream as the England man collected Scholes' superb pass and finished smartly.