LONDON, Jan 15: Wayne Rooney struck the winner as 10-man Manchester United beat Liverpool 1-0 on Saturday - with the help of a blundering hand from keeper Jerzy Dudek.

Dudek got down to the England striker's speculative low shot from nearly 25 metres, but still let the ball skim beneath the Pole's outstretched gloves in the 21st minute at An field.

The goal was all the more galling for Liverpool fans because it came from a Merseyside teenager who until last August played for their bitter city rivals Everton. The victory kept third-placed United firmly on the coat-tails of champions Arsenal and league leaders Chelsea.

Defeat for Liverpool meant Everton remain in pole position for fourth place and a Champions League qualifying slot next season. Liverpool, hoping to whittle away at the six points separating the two city rivals, gave a debut up front to their new Spanish signing Fernando Morientes, who showed some promising touches.

United came into the game after six clean sheets, but without scoring in their last three games in the continued absence of injured Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

Liverpool made the better start to a free-flowing game but found United's defence well able to cope with the early pressure and were unable to deliver a killer final ball.

They finally posed a threat from a Morientes downward header, only for United to take the lead just two minutes later when Rooney unleashed his shot from distance.

United's Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze sent a header just over the bar two minutes later and the visitors were unlucky not to be 2-0 up when skipper Roy Keane cracked a dipping shot on the bounce onto the crossbar.

Liverpool's only real half-chance of the opening 45 minutes fell to Morientes just before the break, when the Spaniard skied a bouncing ball from the edge of the area. The end-to-end action continued in the second half but Liverpool failed to carve out any clear-cut chances and United looked fluid going forward and dangerous on the break.

Things swung Liverpool's way after 65 minutes when Brown got his marching orders for a second book able offence, a bad challenge on wingback John Arne Riise. The red card prompted a tactical switch by both sides, with United winger Cristiano Ronaldo making way for defender John O'Shea and Riise swapped for French striker Florent Sinama Pongolle.

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