Ronaldo penalty takes United close to title

LONDON, May 5 (Reuters) Manchester United took a giant step towards the Premier League title when they beat Manchester City 1-0 in a one-sided local derby today to open up an eight-point lead over defending champions Chelsea.

United have 88 points with two matches to play which means Chelsea, on 80 points with three matches to go, must win at Arsenal tomorrow to keep alive their now slim hopes of a third successive championship.

Although United dominated the match at Eastlands, the game came down to a tale of two penalties -- one scored by United and one missed by City.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored for United after 34 minutes while Darius Vassell saw Edwin van der Sar save his 81st minute penalty with his out-stretched legs.

A delighted United manager Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports: ''It was all down to courage, the courage they showed today was fantastic.

''You saw the real Manchester United today, there was tiredness there and our game wasn't as sharp as normal, but derby games can be like that.'' He said a draw between Arsenal and Chelsea tomorrow would ''do me fine,'' but that he would not watch the match on television and was due to go to Spain -- although if the trip fell through he would play golf instead.

City manager Stuart Pearce said: ''If you don't take your opportunities things contrive against you. If we'd have scored the penalty perhaps we might have gone on to win it, I don't know.'' MISSED PENALTY It was the second successive home match in which City had missed a penalty after Joey Barton's miss against Aston Villa last week.

Barton was suspended from this match though after a training ground bust-up with team mate Ousmane Dabo during the week, and City's woes were completed by ending the season at home without a goal in eight successive home matches since New Year's Day.

Their tally of 10 home league goals is the all-time worst record in the English top tier since league football began in 1888.

Ronaldo, though, named as England's Footballer of the Year yesterday to add to his Player's Player of the Year title, made no mistake from the spot sending the ball wide of Andreas Isaksson for his 23rd United goal of the season -- his 17th in the league.

It was the perfect way to avenge a vicious stamp Michael Ball executed on Ronaldo's ribs after just two minutes which was missed by the match officials.

If they had seen it, Ball would almost certainly have been red carded, but instead he stayed on the field and committed the foul on Ronaldo that led to the penalty after 34 minutes.

Ironically it was Ball who won City's penalty in the closing stages, falling as he ran past Wes Brown. Referee Rob Styles pointed to the spot, but Vassell shot straight at the goalkeeper who saved it with his legs.

United, recovering from their shattering loss to AC Milan in the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, dominated from first kick to last and fully deserved to take the lead after going close nine minutes before the penalty when Rio Ferdinand, returning from injury, headed against the City crossbar.

City, largely playing with just one man in attack, rarely threatened and United always looked like winning the match and taking all three points which puts them within touching distance of their first title since 2003.

REUTERS TB RK2015