PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

"Utd's second home win in 4 days at Old Trafford brought them closer to the top of the pack with this 2-0 victory over Coventry. Yorke getting his third for the club and Johnson getting his tally for the season up to one!"

MATCH REPORT

By Ian Hawkey (The Times)

ONE supporter, a touch pre-emptive, had embroidered his replica shirt with the name "Murdoch", and below it, the number 623. In front of him, the difference between sizing up the potential riches of BSkyB and wearing plain old Sky Blue yawned wide. Manchester United's fortunes, on the field at least, continued their upward turn with a victory over Coventry, which makes it two wins within four days at Old Trafford. Once it is three on the trot, and includes the visit of Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, then they can start thinking big.

Alex Ferguson, the United manager, could take courage from several aspects yesterday. Dwight Yorke, the club's record signing, opened the scoring and had an alert game up front. Defensively, United had few difficulties with either Dion Dublin's awkwardness or Darren Huckerby's fleet of foot, although neither saw enough of the ball to provide serious examination, and only threatened once United had established a cushion.

Ferguson's one concern for that encounter surrounds Ronny Johnsen, who scored the second goal but then limped off late with an injured ankle. "Hopefully he'll be all right," said Ferguson. "I think it's just a knock." There is cover, in Henning Berg, and, indeed Gary Neville, who yesterday returned to the starting line-up.

Naturally enough, Ferguson had retained the forwards who scored two goals each against Charlton Athletic last Wednesday, Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. No part, then, for Teddy Sheringham, and only a place on the bench for Andy Cole. Yorke, however, seems to be settling in well enough. Certainly, his carriage yesterday suggested a man who feels he belongs. He took the field with his collar turned up, à la you-know-who, and a neat one-two between Solskjaer and Yorke in the 10th minute held early promise. "He's relaxed, has great confidence and always plays with a smile," enthused Ferguson, "and Yorke and Solskjaer worked well together." Indeed, but for two smart interceptions by Jean-Guy Wallemme, Solskjaer might have had his own early reward.

The first true opportunity came to Yorke, who nodded off target after meeting a superb cross from David Beckham at the near post. Not long afterwards United were in the lead and if the finishing touch from the scorer could have been cleaner, then the overall architecture of the goal more than compensated. It was Yorke's tender knock-down into the path of Giggs that initially opened up Coventry, Giggs then centred deep from the left, Magnus Hedman and David Burrows obliged by colliding with one another and when Paul Scholes squared the ball low across the penalty box there was Yorke to bobble the ball home, his third for United in as many games.

Yorke's instincts with his back to goal had also passed muster. Spreading the play confidently, he helped Beckham to feature more and more as the first half progressed, two searing crosses troubling Coventry and one dart and feint drawing Burrows into a late challenge that earned the defender a booking. On the other flank, Giggs and, when he went wide, Solskjaer, also had the beating of their opponents.

The interval came as a blessed relief for Coventry, whose openings had been scarce, or otherwise squandered. When Darren Huckerby was afforded his one chance to test his pace against Jaap Stam's, his first touch let him down.

Encouragement could be drawn only from the first Premiership steps of Barry Quinn, the Irish teenager pushed into Coventry's midfield. A member of the Republic of Ireland's triumphant under-18 team at the summer's European championship, he does not look like a young man fearful of reputations.

A forthright, and indeed successful, tackle on his compatriot, Roy Keane, said so loud and proud within the first five minutes. Another, on Solskjaer, proved it was no fluke. Alas, when presented, later on, with perhaps Coventry's best chance of a goal, Quinn could not quite capitalise.

Frequently Coventry looked overrun. Paul Telfer sent a header wide after seven minutes, but it was directed from distance and the visitors' resources seldom collected for long in the final third of the pitch. George Boateng drove a long-range effort into the stand, and when Coventry, improving in the second period, strung something together nearer goal, Telfer again found himself on the end of it, driving past Peter Schmeichel's right-hand post after Dublin's delightful back-heel set him up.

By then, United were two up. Yorke had a role in their second goal. A Giggs corner had been half-cleared when he volleyed in a shot which Gary Breen scooped off the line. Scholes met the rebound and Johnsen directed his effort past Hedman.

Beckham had a go from a free kick just outside the box, swerving one of his trademark strikes past the upright. Shortly afterwards, he was booked, another tangle with Burrows evening out that particular joust. That provided just about Coventry's biggest cheer. Even when they had the ball in the net, from a free kick, late in the second half, the referee Uriah Rennie ordered it be retaken - with a less successful consequence. Coventry now sit one off the bottom of the Premiership. As their manager, Gordon Strachan, observed: "The two surprise teams from last season were us and Southampton - now look at us."

POST MATCH REACTIONS

Alex Ferguson was not totally satisfied after Manchester United continued their climb towards the top of the table with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Coventry at Old Trafford. Dwight Yorke scored his third goal in as many games and Ronny Johnsen waded in with only his third league goal for the club after the interval for the second. United were in control throughout, but United manager Ferguson still managed to find fault with his team.

"I think it was quite a comfortable victory for us today, but the quality of our game in the first-half did not reach the heights of Wednesday against Charlton. I am sure the second goal came too early because I felt we went to sleep after that. I felt our game drop very badly - I am not nit-picking, but those are the facts of it."

Ferguson was once again delighted with the performance of record £12.6million signing Yorke.

"I thought his goal came from a great move," he said. "It was an exciting goal and although it was a tap-in at the end of the day I have seen tap-ins missed. You can see how relaxed he is because he plays with a smile and he is quite laid back. I think that helps him because he is not a nervous player and he always plays with great confidence which can only help him."

Johnsen injured his ankle towards the end, but Ferguson is hopeful that he will be fit for their opening Champions' League clash against Barcelona on Wednesday night at Old Trafford. Coventry are in the relegation zone tonight following their third defeat in five games and manager Gordon Strachan was not impressed.

"We weren't brave enough to go out and play against them," he said. "We were like somebody going to the dentist who knows there is some pain coming somewhere. They did not relish the challenge until we went 2-0 behind when they then decided to give it a go, but they weren't kidding me.

"Southampton and ourselves surprised a few people last year, but just when you think you've cracked it you find yourself back down there again. It is not a nice place to be and it has got a real stigma about it, but we will be doing everything we can to get out of the bottom three."

TEAMS

Manchester United: Schmeichel, P Neville, G Neville, Johnsen, Stam, Keane, Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, Solskjaer, Yorke.
Subs: Butt for Beckham, Blomqvist for Giggs, Berg for Johnsen
Scorers: Yorke (21), Johnsen (48)

Coventry City: Hedman, Edworthy, Burrows, Breen, Wallemme, Telfer, Huckerby, Dublin, Boateng, Shaw, Quinn.
Subs: Hall for Huckerby

Referee: U Rennie