Premier League - Ronaldo off as Rooney silences City

Sun, 30 Nov 22:05:00 2008
Wayne Rooney's first-half goal proved decisive as Manchester United beat Manchester City 1-0 at Eastlands in a game that saw Cristiano Ronaldo sent-off in the second-half.
Rooney struck three minutes before the break, tapping home from close range after Joe Hart parried Michael Carrick's shot.
Ronaldo saw red midway through the second period, bizarrely handling the ball above his head from a corner shortly after being booked for a trip on Shaun Wright-Phillips.
City did the double over United last season but it was the visitors who dominated possession and Rooney really should have done better inside seven minutes when he scuffed a shot which Hart made a hash of saving.
Ronaldo then rose high above Micah Richards but his header was just over the top and Hart did better when he flung himself full length to his right to claw Dimitar Berbatov's header around the post.
There was another chance for United when the ball broke to Patrice Evra in the penalty area but his curling effort was tipped over by Hart although a goal kick was given.
The closest City came in the opening period was on the half hour when Edwin Van der Sar failed to deal with a free-kick and his punch fell to Stephen Ireland whose scuffed effort clipped the outside of the post.
Richards could have poked the ball home from five yards but failed to react in time, perhaps worried about an offside flag going up.
Berbatov then dragged an effort past the post before Rooney struck for his 100th career goal.
Pablo Zabaleta and Blumer Elano replaced Dietmar Hamann and Darius Vassell for the start of the second-half but City failed to force a single save from Van der Sar.
Wright-Phillips did thread a ball through to Benjani whose first-time effort nestled in the side netting and Javier Garrido's free-kick just curled past the post but Robinho in particular was subdued.
Indeed it was referee Howard Webb who became the central figure for much of the second-half as he dished out eight yellow cards in total including a second for Ronaldo who claimed he heard a whistle from the crowd before handling.
City came closest to levelling in injury-time when after United failed to clear a corner, Richard Dunne's shot was cleared off his own line by Evra.
In a dramatic finish, United raced up the other end and Rooney attempted to curl a shot into the net from just inside City's half but Hart, who had gone up for the corner, raced back and clawed the effort away from under his crossbar.