Ruud van Nistelrooy sealed the records, headlines and plaudits as his finishing masterclass continued at home to Blackburn - but it was left to Roy Keane to secure the points for Manchester United on Saturday.

Van Nistelrooy emerged as the victor in his personal shoot-out with former team-mate Andy Cole in becoming the first player to score in eight consecutive Premiership games, thanks to a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

But - while he was eclipsing Alan Shearer, Mark Stein and Thierry Henry, Blackburn were busily planning their equaliser immediately after half-time through Craig Hignett.

Van Nistelrooy's class was evident, with the Dutchman thundering an overhead kick against the bar, but United's resurgent run of eight victories could still have come to an end without Keane's late intervention.

For all van Nistelrooy's goals and David Beckham's skill or Ryan Giggs' dribbling abilities, no one better epitomises the spirit of United than their captain.

With just 10 minutes left, Keane struck the winner to ensure Cole's new Blackburn side would leave Old Trafford with nothing more than the frustrated feeling of what might have been if they had taken their own chances.

Graeme Souness' side came mightily close not only to seizing the lead themselves after Cole was involved in their equaliser, but they also peppered the United goal late on.

As it was, only one half-chance fell to Cole himself. He headed wide, while van Nistelrooy prospered - but the two strikers were virtual observers for the opening 40 minutes.

Blackburn dominated possession early on, but for all of their endeavour the service was well short of the quality Cole had been used to at Old Trafford.

That is not to say van Nistelrooy, playing in United's first unchanged line-up for 77 games, was faring much better. His link-up play and movement were also beyond question, but chances were at a premium.

When United finally threatened Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's shot was cleared off the line by Lucas Neill. But at least, as Paul Scholes and the lively Juan Sebastian Veron also tried their luck, they now showed some urgency.

However, the sterling efforts of Blackburn's new-look central defensive partnership of Nils-Eric Johansson and Martin Taylor still held them at bay.

Cole finally made his own presence felt as he found room to pull the ball back for Matt Jansen, who swivelled and shot too close to Fabien Barthez.

That, however, was merely the invitation for United to spring into action themselves.

Laurent Blanc was the unlikely figure to win their penalty as he neatly sidestepped goalkeeper Brad Friedel before being brought crashing to the ground.

At first Beckham picked up the ball, reviving memories of his spot-kick for England against Sweden - but there was no real question as to who would actually take it.

Up stepped van Nistelrooy, who actually missed his only other penalty for United against Olympiakos.

He took ages to re-position the ball in the mud.

Was he nervous? Not a bit. His shot thudded past Friedel, billowed into the back of the net - and he was submerged under a sea of team-mates as the relief oozed from every pore.

His moment of glory lasted only as long as the half-time interval.

Within three minutes of the restart, Blackburn were level as Cole's neat back-heel found Jansen who enabled Hignett to expose substitute Denis Irwin and finish inside the far post.

Confidence now flooded through the visitors.

Cole headed a corner narrowly wide, while Damien Duff broke free only to ignore the unmarked figure of Jansen and instead see his shot saved.

United were clearly rattled, with Keane now questioning decisions.

But they do not fold that easily.

Having taken time to regroup, with Ryan Giggs replacing Solskjaer, they came again.

Van Nistelrooy so nearly put them ahead with as he rattled the bar with a flying overhead kick from Veron's inventive chip.

But it was left to Keane to guide his team to victory as he struck from close range after Giggs had teased the Blackburn defence and seen his own effort blocked.

The visitors were far from out of it, with substitute Mark Hughes' control letting him down after beating the offside trap - while Garry Flitcroft and Neill also came heart-stoppingly close in the final stages.

However, there was no tearing up the seemingly pre-ordained script.

Van Nistelrooy may not have scored the actual winner, but the records still continue to tumble for him. Even at £19 million, he is truly a bargain.

Teams:

Man Utd: Barthez, Phil Neville, Gary Neville, Blanc, Silvestre (Irwin 45), Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Veron (Butt 84), Solskjaer (Giggs 55), van Nistelrooy.

Subs Not Used: Carroll, O'Shea.

Booked: Irwin.

Goals: van Nistelrooy 45 pen, Keane 81.

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Johansson, Taylor, Bjornebye (Grabbi 84), Dunn (Flitcroft 65), Hignett, Tugay, Duff, Cole, Jansen (Hughes 72).

Subs Not Used: Kelly, Berg.

Goals: Hignett 49.

Att: 67,552

Ref: U Rennie (Sheffield).