United juggernaut continues to roll

Two goals from Dwight Yorke, Paul Scholes’ rocket and another from David Beckham made it nine away wins this campaign for the Old Trafford club.

Liverpool remain on course for a top three finish and a Champion’s League place after they edged out Newcastle 2-1 at Anfield, late substitute Jamie Redknapp getting the winner.

Coach Gerard Houllier saluted Redknapp after his dramatic late-winner who is getting back to full fitness after knee surgery in November.

Arsenal will stay at least two points behind the Reds, now four points behind Leeds, even if they beat Coventry city on Sunday night. Chelsea weren’t firing on all cylinders as they followed up their Champions League loss at home to Lazio in midweek with a mundane 1-1 draw at home to lowly Southampton, managed by former Blues boss Glenn Hoddle.

Coach Gianluca Vialli refused to blame his players for a lacklustre display, insisting he had “no criticisms to make of the side whatsoever”.

He added: “We did have more chances than them, we played with great spirit and all the players tried really hard. I’m quite happy with our performance but we know it’s not really happening for us at the moment.”

Kevin Phillips fired Sunderland to their first win of the millennium with a 2-1 victory at the expense of Everton. The England striker’s 26th goal of the season secured a 2-1 win. Nicky Summerbee had opened the scoring from a direct free-kick seven minutes into the match, Nicky Barmby volleyed Everton level after 38 minutes but Phillips settled matters 13 minutes from time.

Watford’s slim survival hopes were kept alive by Allan Smart’s 78th-minute equaliser against Tottenham. Chris Armstrong had put Spurs in front in the 51st minute at Vicarage Road but the visitors had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Dion Dublin made his return from a broken neck for Aston Villa in the 2-0 victory against Derby. Sheffield Wednesday’s appalling away form continued under new boss Peter Shreeves at Middlesbrough, where Andy Campbell scored the only goal after 11 minutes at the riverside.

New boy Paul Kitson helped Charlton to maintain their 13-point lead at the top of English Division One football championship on Saturday night with their first win in 16 visits to Crystal Palace.

Kitson, on loan from West Ham, scored in the 82nd minute of his debut, to earn Alan Curbishley’s side a 1-0 win at the ground where Charlton played for much of the 1990s following their temporary exile from their home at the valley.

Second-placed Ipswich also won 1-0 with substitute Martijn Reuser grabbing the winner in the dying minutes of their meeting with Fulham. Manchester City were given a scare by West Brom who included five new men in their line-up. Lee Hughes put the visitors in front on the hour and Mark Kennedy levelled with a shot through a crowd of players in the 77th minute.

But Gary Megson’s side were sunk by Shaun Goater’s tap-in after good work by Paul Dickov in the final seconds and the 2-1 win ends a run of seven games without a victory for City.

Huddersfield made short work of Crewe after Kevin Graygave them the lead after 14 minutes. Chris Beech added two more in the 53rd and 79th minutes in a 3-0 win.

Wolves had Neil Emblen to thank for a point against Stockport, who were twice in front at Molineux, before establishing a club record of 16 games without a win.

Ian Lawson put County in front after 16 minutes, Keith Curle levelled with a penalty after Michael Branch was brought down, only for Tony Dinning to restore the lead with his 12th of the season after 62 minutes.

Emblen scrambled the ball home to make it 2-2 in the final moments. Sheffield United took the lead at home to Birmingham when Marcus Bent notched his 15th of the season, but City struck twice in as many minutes, with Bryan Hughes forcing Robert Kozluk to put through his own goal and then scoring himself in the 54th minute to seal a 2-1 win.

Bolton kept their faint hopes of a promotion play-off place alive with a 2-1 win over Port Vale, now without a win in 10 games.

Eidur Gudjohnsen opened the scoring after 16 minutes and Allan Johnston doubled the lead three minutes before the break. Ville Viljanen pulled one back but Vale look doomed.

Nottingham Forest are starting to look over their shoulder after a 1-0 home defeat by Blackburn, now unbeaten in three games under Graeme Souness. Ashley Ward’s first goal in 12 games in the seventh minute was enough to take the points.

Queen’s Park Rangers were twice behind against Norwich before emerging with a point from a 2-2 draw. Lee Marshall’s goals for the Canaries sandwiched Chris Kiwomya’s header, and it was the former Ipswich striker who levelled things five minutes from time for Gerry Francis’ men.

A Lee Bradbury hat-trick put Portsmouth on way to a 4-1 thrashing of Swindon. Bradbury netted in the 42nd, 43rd and 49th minutes, after Alan Whitbread opened the scoring. Wayne Gray’s 69th minute effort for town was of little consolation.

Wayne Allison put Tranmere in front after only four minutes, but despite having Ian Brightwell sent off in the 37th minute for a professional foul, Walsall made it 1-1 through Michael Rickett’s 67th minute spot-kick.