Six points and counting. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ensured Manchester United's
march towards the Premier League title continues to be as relentless as a Cape
Canaveral countdown.
Solskjaer came off the bench to score the winner eight minutes from time to
leave United needing just two more victories to record their seventh
championship success in nine years.
The Reds are on course to wrap up the title against Manchester City on
Saturday week and they might do it even sooner if Arsenal slip up against the
Blues or against Middlesbrough in their next two games.
Charlton, though, very nearly delayed United's championship celebrations after
a gusty display at Old Trafford.
In a bizarre match, referee Mark Halsey set up Andy Cole's opening goal for
United on the stroke of half-time before the champions elect hit the woodwork
four times after the interval.
David Beckham watched proceedings from the bench after Sir Alex Ferguson had
opted to try out Paul Scholes on the right ahead of next week's Bayern Munich
game.
The noise levels went up several decibels before kick-off when Eric Cantona
received his award after he was voted United's best ever player in a poll
organised by the club's official magazine.
Cantona then retired to the directors' box and like everyone else sat back
expecting to see United tear into Charlton.
Initially he would not have been disappointed as United went straight for
Charlton's jugular.
Dwight Yorke just failed to touch home Nicky Butt's cross at the back post
before the recalled striker fluffed a great headed chance from Gary Neville's
curling centre.
Yorke did better with a drive, which took a deflection, before Sasa Ilic
touched it past his right-hand post.
Charlton were rocking and Mark Fish made a vital interception to knock Roy
Keane's dangerous cross behind for a corner.
Nicky Butt became the first player to be booked after he slid in to chop down
Scott Parker.
Parker picked himself up and almost exacted his own revenge in the 28th minute
when his 25-yard chip came off the face of the crossbar.
Back came United and they had a penalty appeal turned down when Cole's shot
hit Fish on the hand during a goalmouth melee.
Charlton, who had lost just one of their last 11 league games, were certainly
not overawed by their illustrious hosts and Claus Jensen stung Fabien Barthez's
hands with a whipped shot.
United continued to create the best of the chances and Cole directed a cross
from Ryan Giggs just wide of the post.
Then just as it looked like Charlton would hold out to half-time, Halsey
accidentally handed them the breakthrough they needed.
Yorke broke from his own half and fed Cole on the left. He cut inside and when
he was tackled by Radostan Kishishev, the ball rebounded off the heel of Halsey
back to the striker and he dispatched his 13th goal of the season into the
bottom corner.
That was tough on Charlton who had defended so well for the other 44 minutes
and 30 seconds of the half.
The goal settled United and Giggs had a close-range shot cleared off the line
by Fish before a Keane drive came off the inside of the post.
United were beginning to look more like their old selves and Scholes cracked a
shot, which Ilic spilled behind for a corner.
Charlton sensed the game was starting to slip away from them and just before
the hour mark, they brought on Mark Kinsella and John Robinson and for Jensen
and Graham Stuart.
The changes helped Charlton take the initiative and in the 63rd minute they
snatched an equaliser.
Neville failed to deal with Jonatan Johansson's cross into the box and Fish
nipped in to ram the loose ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.
Neville nearly made amends two minutes later when his deep cross came off the
inside of the post.
It looked it was not going to be United's night and that feeling grew when
Scholes fired a shot against the upright.
With 13 minutes left, United threw on Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer as they stepped up the search for a winner.
The reshuffle paid off and in the 82nd minute Solskjaer fired home the winner
with his 13th goal of the season.
In a crazy match there was even time for United to hit the woodwork again when
Sheringham headed against a post.
United's joy at winning was tempered near the end when Denis Irwin was
stretchered off injured.
Teams:
Man Utd: Barthez, Gary Neville, Brown, Irwin (Phil Neville 90),
Silvestre, Scholes, Butt (Solskjaer 77), Keane, Giggs,
Yorke (Sheringham 78), Cole.
Subs Not Used: Goram, Beckham.
Booked: Butt.
Goals: Cole 45, Solskjaer 82.
Charlton: Ilic, Kishishev (Konchesky 73), Powell,
Stuart (Robinson 59), Rufus, Parker, Todd,
Jensen (Kinsella 59), Johansson, Fish, Bartlett.
Subs Not Used: Svensson, Caig.
Booked: Konchesky.
Goals: Fish 63.
Att: 67,505
Ref: M halsey (Heartfordshire).
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