Soccer: Van Nistelrooy lifts United

LONDON - Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy breathed more life back into Manchester United on Saturday, scoring twice in a 3-2 triumph at Fulham.

The victory brought United to within seven points of runaway leaders Chelsea but second-placed Charlton Athletic lost ground when they squandered a two-goal lead in a 3-2 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, for whom Robbie Keane grabbed a late winner.

Spurs joined Charlton on 15 points, six behind champions Chelsea, while United moved up to fourth on 14 points, the same as Bolton Wanderers who play on Sunday.

Blackburn Rovers beat struggling West Bromwich Albion 2-0 while Portsmouth and Newcastle United played out a goalless draw at Fratton Park. Sunderland held sixth-placed West Ham United 1-1 at the Stadium of Light.

Chelsea face Liverpool for the second time in four days when they visit Anfield on Sunday, the same day as Arsenal, on 10 points, host Birmingham City.

All the goals came in a frenetic first half at Craven Cottage where recalled striker Collins John gave struggling Fulham a second-minute lead with a left-foot shot amid shaky United defending.

Alex Ferguson's side hit back hard, however. Van Nistelrooy stroked a 17th-minute penalty into the corner of the net after South Korean midfielder Park ji-Sung was fouled in the area.

A minute later England striker Wayne Rooney rounded off a fluid attack with a clinical finish to give United the lead.

Fulham were level before the half-hour mark through Danish midfielder Claus Jensen but van Nistelrooy scored the winner before the end of a breathless half after being teed up by the excellent Park.

The win followed United's Champions League victory over Benfica in midweek, secured by a late Van Nistelrooy goal, and will help to further ease the pressure on Ferguson after his team's disappointing September.

The Scot was in good humour after the game. "I thought at halftime this could have ended up 20-all," he told Sky Sports television.

"But in the second half common sense took over. Some of our football was scintillating in the first half."

The defeat put Fulham into the bottom three with five points.

Spurs left Charlton reeling with a superb fightback at The Valley.

Playing in front of England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, Darren Bent scored twice to give Athletic a 2-0 lead after 48 minutes but the prospect of defeat merely spurred Tottenham into action.

Ledley King quickly pulled one back and Egyptian striker Mido lashed in an equaliser through goalkeeper Stephan Andersen's legs after 64 minutes.

Irish substitute striker Keane completed Tottenham's comeback 10 minutes from time with a neat finish after a counter-attack by Martin Jol's improving team.

"We believed in it," said Jol. "I think we deserved it because we played brave, we played all the strikers."

Michael Owen was left out of Newcastle's 0-0 draw at Portsmouth with a dead leg but manager Graeme Souness said later he would be fit enough to join England's squad for their final two World Cup qualifiers.

Blackburn's Finnish international Shefki Kuqi struck in the 80th and 88th minutes at Ewood Park to deepen West Brom's troubles.

Bryan Robson's team slipped to second-from-bottom on five points after Sunderland moved above them on goal difference thanks to their draw with West Ham.

Tommy Miller gave Sunderland a deserved lead but Israeli Yossi Benayoun's expertly taken equaliser 18 minutes from time secured West Ham a point.

- REUTERS