BY OLIVER HOLT ( The Times )

MANCHESTER United took another tentative step towards the FA Carling Premiership title at Ewood Park last night when they struggled to a goalless draw that was enough to boot the once-mighty Blackburn Rovers into the darkness of the Nationwide League.

All United need to do now is to beat Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon and the Premiership trophy will be theirs for the fifth time in seven years, no matter how many goals Arsenal put past Aston Villa at Highbury.

As for Blackburn, there was only despair. Jack Walker, whose millions should surely have guaranteed them their status in the top division if they had been used more wisely, had tears in his eyes as the Rovers players did a reluctant lap of honour after the game.

There was particular poignancy for Brian Kidd, the Rovers manager, who forsook United's pursuit of the treble back in December to try to recreate the excellence that brought Blackburn the championship just four short years ago. Poor Kidd. His pitchside antics, his leapings from the bench, his remonstrations and reproaches, his pointings and promptings made Martin O'Neill look like a model of touchline serenity.

He and Rovers have lost the spine of that title-winning side - Colin Hendry, Tim Sherwood and Alan Shearer - as, with bewildering speed, they have proved that riches alone are not enough to ensure success. Either Charlton Athletic or Southampton will be pushed kicking and screaming into the last of the relegation places this weekend.

If United felt sympathy for their former coach - Peter Schmeichel handed Kidd his gloves in tribute after the final whistle - their overriding emotions were of relief and expectation.

After Arsenal finally cracked under the strain, falling to a 1-0 defeat against Leeds United at Elland Road on Tuesday night, United came perilously close to emulating them against a Rovers side that rescued some of their credibility after the poverty of their performance against Nottingham Forest last Saturday.

Where Arsenal had slipped to defeat late in their match against Leeds, United managed to escape. Ashley Ward should have given Rovers a lifeline in the 84th minute, a chance to go to Newcastle on Sunday with hope in their hearts, when Ronny Johnsen's weak back-heel fell to him on the edge of the area.

Instead, with Schmeichel marooned 15 yards outside his goal, Ward attempted a delicate chip and only succeeded in slicing the ball wide. United survived another scare in injury time, when Schmeichel blocked Gary Neville's back pass with his knee on the line before hacking the ball to safety. "It is not the result we wanted," Ferguson said, "especially not after the amount of possession we had and the pressure we exerted on them. We should have done better with it.

"But we know now that if we win our last home game of the season, we will win the championship and if we had been offered that prospect at the start of the campaign, we would have accepted it.

"It is a real nail-biter now but I always knew it would go down to the wire. There will be tension and apprehension before the game on Sunday, but there will be a tremendous atmosphere and it is in our hands."

Ryan Giggs returned to the United side after his absence with an ankle injury and the selection of Phil Neville in the centre of midfield above Paul Scholes suggested that Ferguson may have been using this opportunity to field his probable European Cup final team.

United should have scored in the tenth minute. Beckham crossed deep to the back post and when Giggs rose above Gary Croft, his header hit the post and fell to Andy Cole. Cole had the goal at his mercy and time on his side but he did not seem to appreciate his situation and hit a first-time shot high over the bar.

Midway through the half, Dwight Yorke forced a fine save from Filan with a dipping shot after a swift counter-attack orchestrated by Beckham.

Ward created Blackburn's best chance of the half for himself a minute later when he ran on to Jansen's pass and cut inside Johnsen before directing a tame shot straight at Schmeichel.

Frustration began to creep into United's game now as they failed to make the breakthrough. Giggs got caught in two minds when Yorke fed a short ball to him as he overlapped on the left and hit a shot high and wide.

Beckham, who got drawn into a pushing match with Lee Carsley, castigated Gary Neville for a couple of misplaced passes and ten minutes before half-time, Cole wasted another chance after a long ball over the top from Neville had put him in behind the Rovers defence. He could only manage a weak shot that Filan saved comfortably.

The catalogue of missed chances continued right into injury time at the end of the half. Johnsen rose above the static Rovers defence to meet a Beckham corner from the right but his header went several feet wide of Filan's left-hand post.

The second half started with a booking for Nicky Butt after a crunching tackle on Carsley and United were given further cause for concern when David Dunn brought an arching fingertip save from Schmeichel with a jink past Johnsen and a rising 30-yard drive.

United were struggling to find their rhythm. Giggs brought Filan rushing off his line when he played a one-two with Yorke but the goalkeeper managed to smother his flick and a couple of minutes later Butt hit a wild right-foot shot spiralling over the crossbar.

Midway through the half, Johnsen nearly made up for his earlier profligacy when he met Beckham's corner at the near post. This time, his glancing header was on target but Carsley kicked it off the line.

Some United supporters celebrated prematurely when David May thudded a header into the side-netting from Beckham's deep free kick. If they are to have cause for real jubilation, they will have to play better than this at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2): J Filan - G Croft, D Peacock, S Henchoz, C Davidson - K Gillespie (sub: D Johnson, 81min), L Carsley, J Wilcox, D Dunn - A Ward, M Jansen.

Manchester United (4-4-2): P Schmeichel - G Neville, R Johnsen, J Stam (sub: D May, 46), D Irwin - D Beckham, N Butt, P Neville (sub: P Scholes, 75), R Giggs - A Cole (sub: E Sheringham, 71), D Yorke.

Referee: M Reed.