From The Touchlines

TAKE IT FROM ME!: Wayne Rooney roars after he put in the equalising goal for Man United.

Wayne Rooney’s sparkling form of late spared Manchester United the blushes as they came back from a goal down to defeat Sheffield United 2-1.

The win was all the more crucial as their closest rivals Chelsea sealed a 1-0 win over West Ham United, courtesy of a first half goal by Geremi.

The questionable pitch conditions at Bramall Lane curbed United’s free flowing motions, while Sheffied were contented to stifle out any chance the Devils created.

Gary Neville’s shooting boots continued to desert him when on nine minutes, after capitalising on an error by Colin Kazim-Richards, only shot straight at keeper Paddy Kenny.

Four minutes later, Rio Ferdinand charged the ball down the touchline, only to be intercepted by Nicky Law, who combined well with Kazim-Richards on the left and produced a fine outswinging cross.

Former Red Devil Keith Gillespie gladly obliged with a deft header beyond Edwin van der Sar.

Bramall Lane erupted; United were spooked.

Rooney’s subsequent header was tipped away by Kenny, and it was not long before controversy reared its ugly head again.

Referee Mark Clattenburg waved down strong penalty claims by the United players after Louis Saha was alleged to have been knocked clumsily from behind by Rob Kozluk.

Ryan Giggs was booked for dissent, and the Devils only got a scant corner, which came to naught.

But hail Rooney on the half hour mark. Neville’s pass deep into the box was collected by Rooney with his left foot and with his right, slammed into the far corner of the net, with Kenny barely moving an inch.

United had another penalty appeal turned down on 41 minutes, when Paul Scholes seemed to have been upended in the box. Nothing doing again.

The half ended 1-1, with the Devils destined for a real hairdryer session by gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson at the break.

When play resumed, it became a tepid affair with United frustrated time and again when they moved forward.

The only real attack then came from Rooney with 15 minutes left, when he volleyed home Patrice Evra’s cross from the left.

United could have been far and away after that, if Cristiano Ronaldo had not spurned two gilt-edged chances in front of goal, although he could have been forgiven for the second effort.

The win maintains United’s three-point lead at the pinnacle, with the big cruncher to come next weekend when they meet Chelsea.

SAHA ROARS: Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha celebrate United’s first goal after just two minutes.

Sir Alex Ferguson could not have asked for a better 20th anniversary gift as Manchester United ran out 3-0 winners against Portsmouth.

Goals by Louis Saha, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic ensured another three points, and continued their sterling form after previously hammering Bolton Wanderers 4-0.

With virtually the first attack of the match, Gary Neville’s throw in was pounced on by Wayne Rooney. But Pompey’s skipper Dejan Stefanovic gifted United a penalty only after two minutes, after he fouled Rooney.

Saha stepped up and duly converted with his left foot.

Pompey had barely settled down when Ronaldo put a screamer of a freekick into the net in the 10th minute.

After that, United did not let up and could have had two goals through Neville, but his shots were saved by shot stopper David James, who was the busier of the two keepers.

In a relentless assault on James’ goal, Rio Ferdinand directed his header well past the former Liverpool and Manchester City keeper, but he still managed to pull out a one-handed save to deny Ferdinand his second goal of the season.

Pompey’s first real chance came towards the end of the first half, when Matthew Taylor’s point blank effort was blocked by Edwin van der Sar.

The restart brought more hope for Portsmouth, as Benjani Mwaruwari tested van der Sar with a low drive with just one minute of the second half played. But unlike Bolton, they didn’t have a hatful of chances.

Two minutes later, Rooney spurned a good chance to continue his goal-scoring streak when his shot fizzled just wide off the post.

United were really spellbinding their opponents with their immaculate passing. From a corner, Vidic’s first-time shot was parried away by James.

On the other end, Pompey crafted out a really big chance to pull one back through Niko Krajncar, but the Croatian struck the ball wide with the goalmouth begging.

On any other day, they would have probably had it the way they wanted it. But today wasn’t the day. Not when your opponents are on fire.

Rooney, who broke his goalscoring duck with a hat-trick against Bolton, was in his element when he went past three defenders before eventually blasting the ball over the top.

Vidic, who had earlier been denied, did not disappoint at midway point, as he, unmarked in the box, rose and headed Neville’s perfectly weighted cross into the net, for United’s third.

Pompey were reeling, not just from their failure to score, but that they were caught ball-watching, as an off-balance Vidic was not challenged at all.

It was definitely not their day. Five minutes later, Saha brought out a fine save from James, who was really the hero for Portsmouth as he kept the United strikeforce at bay.

While Saha stayed on, Rooney and Ronaldo were taken off and replaced with Darren Fletcher and John O’Shea. Even with a less enterprising change, Portsmouth were not able to capitalise on it.

In fact, Fletcher could have compounded their agony with a fourth goal, had he not bent his shot with his left foot wide, with only 10 minutes to go.

But victory had been sealed long before then. Portsmouth were just not able to mount a comeback they so desperately needed.

It isn’t exactly getting lonely at the top yet, but United are definitely on a roll, what with their top three strikers Saha, Rooney and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bringing in the goals, plus a whole lot more from other sources.