Blackburn Rovers 0 - 1 Manchester United

Blackburn 0-1 Man Utd

Updated: November 11, 2006, 2:38 PM ET

Rooney missed two sitters and was booked for dissent in a frustrating game for the England striker, but United will take huge satisfaction from this result, settled thanks to Louis Saha's 64th-minute finish.

United's first league win at Blackburn since 1998 and their sixth successive Premiership win ensured they stay three points ahead of Chelsea at the top of the table.

But both teams found themselves wrong-footed by the results of an early downpour.

First, Brad Friedel's clearance skidded to the feet of Cristiano Ronaldo and when the Portuguese winger cut inside to fire towards the empty net, he ended up on his backside.

Then Rooney beat Brett Emerton and fired in from a narrow angle, only for Friedel to save with his feet, before Ronaldo's cross got stuck under Rooney's feet in front of goal.

Rooney was soon guilty of an even worse miss after Friedel had brilliantly saved Saha's low strike. The ball bounced free and Rooney, with the goal at his mercy, sliced wide.

But Rovers retorted and Zurab Khizanishvili was agonisingly close to opening the scoring with a flicked header, before a Morten Gamst Pedersen corner cannoned back off the crossbar.

Rooney was then thwarted again when he had a ferocious shot saved one-handed by Friedel.

There was only brief respite for Blackburn, though, because in the 64th minute they fell behind.

Rooney held the ball up despite intense pressure and fed John O'Shea, whose cross to the far post was diverted across goal by Ryan Giggs for Saha to hook home from an almost prone position.

Benni McCarthy then rifled a shot towards goal, but Edwin van der Sar saved at the second attempt and secure a valuable victory.