Saha justifies place

Manchester United tightened their grip on second place after beating West Brom thanks to two goals from Louis Saha.

The Frenchman gave United an early lead, capitalising on slack West Brom marking to head past Tomasz Kuszczak.

Midway through the second half Kuszczak was powerless to stop Saha's clipped finish after a flowing United move.

Edwin van der Sar made two great saves in the first-half, but the Dutchman was finally beaten with 12 minutes to go when Nathan Ellington headed in.

Ellington's goal ensured a tense finale, though the visitors were well worth their win.

Saha could have a hat-trick when after another United counterattack the Frenchman had a close-range shot blocked.

On another day Wayne Rooney might have had a hat-trick, but with the goal at his mercy on three occasions, he was superbly tackled by Martin Albrechtsen, Junichi Inamoto and then Steve Watson.

The win moved United five points of third-place Liverpool, who have played a game more than Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Defeat for West Brom and Portsmouth's victory at West Ham, leaves the Midlands side facing another nail-biting run-in as they seek to avoid relegation for a second successive season.

The in-form Saha had again been preferred to Ruud Nistelrooy, who had only returned to England early on Saturday after his wife had suffered a family bereavement.

Saha was quickly into his stride, sending in a cross onto the roof of Kuszczak's net.

The Frenchman's next contribution proved altogether more deadly as he drifted away from Ronnie Wallwork to plant a header past Kuszczak following Ryan Giggs' corner.

Giggs might have added a second when he burst into the box only to be denied by Kuszczak's reaction save.

Just before that Giggs chance, Van der Sar had to make two superb saves to protect United's lead as West Brom finished the opening half strongly.

The Dutchman flung himself to his right to tip away Diomansy Kamara's free-kick and then dived the other way to save Davies' powerful header.

Kanu replaced the ineffectual Kevin Campbell for the start of the second-half and the Nigerian immediately brought more vim to the West Brom attack trying his luck with a speculative shot.

West Brom manager Bryan Robson needed to make a further shuffle in attack, bringin on Ellington when Kamara limped off.

But as the West Brom attack took time to readjust to those changes, United broke clear to extend their lead with a devastating counterattack.

Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo combined to release Saha, who after quickly controlling the ball, guided his shot past the onrushing Kuszczak