ALEX FERGUSON paid tribute to magnificent match winner Eric Cantona as Manchester United turned up the title heat on Newcastle with a precious victory over Tottenham at Old Trafford yesterday.

Cantona struck decisively with a brilliant individual effort on 50 minutes the fifth successive match the Frenchman has scored in and his 15th goal of the season as United moved three points clear of Newcastle at the top of the Premiership with a 1-0 win.

United have played two games more than Newcastle - but Cantona's amazing contribution to their charge for their third Premiership title in four years and their second double in three seasons is not lost on the Old Trafford boss Ferguson.

He said: "Eric is a marvellous player. He was up for it today and over the past few weeks his performances for us have been getting better and better.

"It's immeasurable how you can quantify that goal and at the end of the season it could be the difference between us winning the title and not."

United skipper Steve Bruce also made a glowing reference to Cantona, whose strike took the wind out of Spurs after they had dominated the first half exchanges.

"Eric is a unique talent and he seems to always be there or thereabouts in big games. That shows what a class player he is.

Bruce added: "We knew it was going to be difficult, but all credit to Spurs because they played very well and came at us and attacked us.

"It's going to be tense. We've got six games to go and we're not taking anything for granted.

"But we've put a hell of a run together, all the lads have dug in and it's nice to be three points clear."

However, Tottenham boss Gerry Francis left Old Trafford complaining that Spurs had become the latest victims of refereeing injustice at the hands of United.

Francis felt that his side should have been awarded a corner seconds before Cantona broke away for his goal and television pictures seemed to back up his claim that referee Gerald Ashby had made a mistake.

"We played very well and felt that we deserved something out of the game," said Francis. "United are very fortunate and we feel that the referee has cost us the game.

It was a corner - and everyone in the ground knew it was a corner - but suddenly they go down the other end and Cantona scores.

"Andy Sinton has gone to take the corner it was that obvious and all of a sudden they are on the attack.

"Things like that are so obvious and to lose to a goal like that was very unfortunate."

And Francis added that he now expected United to go on to take the title, saying with more than a hint of sarcasm: "I doubt Man United will have any problem winning the title because you just don't get a decision here.

From our point of view. I'm disappointed with a number of decisions which I feel cost us the game."

Ferguson, though, still believes the race will go right to the wire, and also admitted that he had detected a nervousness about his players in the game.

"We were a bit nervous, particularly the younger players, but I suppose that's understandable," he said.

"But credit must also go to Spurs because they had us under the cosh in the first half".

"We changed things around in the second half and it worked. In the end it was a very important result.

"We've won our game and both Newcastle and Liverpool have lost their's. Winning the title is all about working hard."