A LOOK at the key players and performances from the Premiership game against Manchester Utd at Old Trafford.

ROVERS

BRAD FRIEDEL: Outwitted by Blanc for the penalty but generally solid apart from that...6

LUCAS NEILL: A stunning performance from the tough-tackling Aussie. Hard as nails defensively and always willing to overlap on the right...9

STIG BJORNEBYE: Used all his experience to keep the lid on Beckham in what was his best performance of the season so far...7

MARTIN TAYLOR: Who needs Rio Ferdinand when you've got Tiny Taylor! Surely an England international in the making on this evidence...9

NILS JOHANSSON: Looked the part alongside Taylor as Rovers defended magnificently against Van Nistelrooy and Co...8

TUGAY: What more can you say about the talented Turk? If there's a better pound-for-pound player in the Premiership then I'd like to see him...8

DAVID DUNN: Exceptional in the centre of midfield. Led Keane and Veron a merry dance at times as he drove Rovers forward with energy and invention...9

CRAIG HIGNETT: Scored his customary goal and could have had a couple of others after popping up in the right place at the right time...7

MATT JANSEN: Never gave the United defence a moment's peace and created Hignett's goal with a wonderfully weighted pass...8

ANDY COLE: Desperate to score on his Old Trafford return but still caused plenty of problems with his pace and movement up front...7

DAMIEN DUFF: His willingness to work back stopped Beckham in his tracks but his second half miss ended up proving costly...7

SUBS:

FLITCROFT (for Dunn, 65)...7

HUGHES (for Jansen, 72)...6

GRABBI (for Bjornebye, 84)...5

Manchester United

BARTHEZ: Made a good save from Duff...7

G NEVILLE: Looked uneasy...6

P NEVILLE: Struggled against Duff...6

SILVESTRE: Withdrawn at half-time...6

BLANC: Clever play for the penalty...8

BECKHAM: Was he playing?...6

KEANE: Led from the front...9

VERON: A poor man's Tugay...7

SCHOLES: Always a danger...8

SOLSKJAER: In Taylor's pocket...6

VAN NISTELROOY: A class act up front...9

SUBS:

IRWIN (for Silvestre, 46)...6

GIGGS (for Solskjaer, 56)...7

BUTT (for Veron, 84)...6

STATS:

Goal attempts: Rovers 13 United 17

Shots on target: Rovers 7 United 6

Woodwork: Rovers 0 United 1

Offsides: Rovers 2 United 4

Corners: Rovers 3 United 8

Free kicks: Rovers 15 United 13

REFEREE: Uriah Rennie (Sheffield)...6

Attendance: 67,552

Bookings: YELLOW CARDS - Rovers: None United: Irwin (foul)

RED CARDS - None

TIME FOR ACTION:

01Paul Scholes fires over after a neat lay-off from Ole Solskjaer

2323: Lucas Neill's heroic goal-line clearance prevents Solskjaer from firing United ahead

27Scholes plays a one-two with Juan Veron before firing inches wide

39Stig Bjornebye's deep centre finds Craig Hignett but his shot is blocked by Silvestre

45Disaster strikes as Brad Friedel trips Laurent Blanc and Ruud Van Nistelrooy becomes a record-breaker by scoring from the spot

49It's 1-1 as Andy Cole and Matt Jansen work an opening for Hignett to fire past Fabien Barthez

64Damien Duff looks to the sky in disbelief after failing to beat Barthez when left one-on-one

70Friedel breathes a sigh of relief as Van Nistelrooy's acrobatic overhead kick cannons back off the bar

81It's agony for Rovers fans as Roy Keane blasts home the winner from close range

90Garry Flitcroft nearly stuns Old Trafford into silence with a low drive which flashes agonisingly wide of the post

TACTICS:

GRAEME Souness resisted the temptation to go with just one up front and his tactics very nearly paid off. With Craig Hignett tucking inside at every opportunity, Rovers competed magnificently with the champions in midfield, defending brilliantly throughout the whole team

KEY MOMENT

FABIAN Barthez saving from Damien Duff. Had the Irish winger converted that chance, Rovers would have come away with at least a point

TEAMS:

Rovers (4-4-2): from right to left

Friedel

Neill, Taylor, Johansson, Bjornebye

Hignett, Tugay, Dunn, Duff

Cole, Jansen

Manchester United (4-4-2): from right to left

Barthez

P Neville, Blanc, G Neville, Silvestre

Beckham, Keane, Veron, Scholes

Van Nistelrooy, Solksjaer

THE HERO:

CRAIG Hignett popped up with the goods once again for Rovers, scoring his fourth goal in five games to get the visitors right back in the game

THE VILLAIN:

LAURENT Blanc went down like the proverbial sack of spuds to win United a crucial penalty after a challenge from Brad Friedel

THE VERDICT:

ROVERS deserved a point for a magnificent team performance after matching United stride for stride but the Champions' belief ultimately saw them through