Late Hernandez Goal Beats Resolute Everton

Javier Hernandez struck a late winner to keep Manchester United six points clear at the top of the Premier League with victory against a dogged Everton.

Sylvain Distin gifted United possession and Hernandez made Everton pay seven minutes from time, nodding in Antonio Valencia's cross at the far post.

Hernandez earlier forced two good saves from Tim Howard, while Everton's Victor Anichebe might have had a penalty.

But after a spate of Howard saves, United's pressure eventually paid off.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side now only need to pick up seven points from their last four games to be assured of a record 19th English league title.

They made hard work for themselves on a gloriously sunny day at Old Trafford but United laid siege to the Everton goal in the closing stages and Hernandez, not for the first time this season, popped up with a crucial goal.

United now head to Germany for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Schalke on Tuesday knowing the Premier League is theirs to lose.

Yet with so much to play for it was a subdued start to the game, with United seemingly paying the price for resting the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick as they struggled for any fluency against an Everton side looking to extend an eight-match unbeaten run.

United, who had failed to score in their last two games - the FA Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Manchester City and the goalless draw at Newcastle on Tuesday - looked uncharacteristically edgy and the visitors, superbly marshalled at the back by Phil Jagielka, were in no mood to capitulate.

Wayne Rooney summed up the frustration inside Old Trafford when he very obviously berated his team-mates for a lack of energy and that proved the catalyst for United to produce their best spell of the first half.

Nani shot at Howard from an angle on the left, Hernandez forced the keeper to parry wide after a neat one-two with Anderson and then the Mexican brought another top stop from Howard with his first-time right-foot shot from a fine Rooney pass.

Their best chance of the half came moments before the whistle as Antonio Valencia outmuscled Leighton Baines down the right and fed Nani inside the box, the Portuguese winger's goal-bound shot hitting Hernandez - on the floor and trying to get out of the way - and flying wide.

Everton hauled off the ineffective Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Jermaine Beckford at the break and sent on Anichebe and Tim Cahill and they began to take the game to United, with Anichebe's penalty shout a huge moment in the game.

He did superbly well to roll Rio Ferdinand just inside the United half and he raced into the area down the left, going down under a challenge from Ferdinand as the defender chased him down only for referee Peter Walton to wave play on.

Edwin van der Sar had to be at his very best to fingertip away a low, deflected Jack Rodwell's shot halfway through the second half but from then on it was all United as they produced wave after wave of attack.

A Fabio cross from the right was sliced against his own post by Distin, before Rooney's top corner-bound 25-yard free-kick was pushed away by an alert Howard, who then superbly tipped over a Hernandez header from Valencia's right-wing centre.

But just as Everton must have thought they had clung on for a point, Hernandez popped up to capitalise on Distin's error and ensure the destiny of the title remains firmly in United's hands.


Chicharito rises to nod Antonio Valencia's cross past Tim Howard