Ronaldo double sinks 10-man Rovers

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Red Devils old-boy Mark Hughes, a candidate to replace Sir Alex Ferguson in the future, could have been proud of Rovers' battling efforts for all but two minutes of the contest, even after the dismissal of David Dunn.

But it was in those 120 seconds that Ronaldo destroyed them, powering home Ryan Giggs' corner before finishing off Carlos Tevez's magnificent square pass.

Although Ronaldo failed to complete his first United hat-trick, the double strike took him to 10 for the season and provided his team with their ninth win in 10 matches.

That run that does not seem likely to be tested by Bolton, Fulham and Derby, their next three opponents, as the pressure starts to build in the championship race.

With Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz mobile up front, the returning Aaron Mokoena biting into tackles in midfield and David Bentley providing a constant threat out wide, Rovers could easily have been ahead before Ronaldo sent them to the floor.

The nearest they came was when Christopher Samba belted a shot against Edwin van der Sar's left-hand post, with the Dutchman totally beaten.

But having won the corner initially with a shot that flicked off Dunn, Ronaldo rose highest to meet Giggs' set piece and this time David Bentley, who had already hacked one shot off the line from the Portugal winger, could not keep it out

Within sixty seconds, Blackburn were two down. Louis Saha was onto the loose ball in a flash, prodding it to Tevez who tore into the Blackburn half. Saha kept motoring but it was Ronaldo to his right who received the perfect pass Tevez delivered with the outside of his right boot. Brad Friedel did his best to deny the wide-man but ultimately he failed.

If Hughes was unhappy before half-time, he was positively fuming seven minutes after the restart when his side were reduced to 10 men by Dunn's dismissal. The former England international had already picked up one harsh booking for hauling back Tevez, so once Foy had deemed his late tackle on Saha as deliberate, a red card was automatic.