Manchester United 1 Middlesbrough 0:Alex Ferguson's champions made hard work of dispatching Middlesbrough at Old Trafford but after missing a glut of chances Dimitar Berbatov spared their blushes with the only goal.

The Bulgarian volleyed home from close range in the 69th minute after Michael Carrick's left-wing cross had bounced back off defender David Wheater.

Prior to that not only Berbatov but Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael, Nemanja Vidic and Park Ji-sung had all squandered chances against a determined Middlesbrough side.

Berbatov was restored to the starting line-up as Ferguson made four changes to his side.

Carlos Tevez, who claimed the matchwinner in the St Stephen's Day clash at Stoke, was absent after being allowed return to Argentina to resolve a "family issue", giving the Bulgarian his chance.

Rafael, Carrick and Park were the other players to come in with Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs all dropping to the bench.

Former Middlesbrough trainee Matthew Bates, 22, made his first Premier League appearance since the last game of the 2004-5 season as one of three changes to the team beaten 1-0 by Everton.

In the 21st minute Rafael brought down Stewart Downing wide on the left and when Gary O'Neil's free-kick dropped to Afonso Alves his half-hit shot was blocked by Carrick.

The Brazil striker then easily turned Vidic and fired a shot over before United went down the other end and should have scored.

Rooney raced down the left channel in the 22nd minute but when he pulled the ball back to Ronaldo he scuffed a shot with his weaker foot wide of the far post.

Middlesbrough had a rare sight of goal in the 30th minute when the ball reached Downing on the left of the penalty area but he curled his shot woefully wide.

United went straight down the other end and Ronaldo forced another low save out of Ross Turnbull before Rafael blazed into the side-netting when the goalkeeper palmed Rooney's left-wing cross into his path.

Rooney should have given the hosts the lead when he sprang the offside trap in the 35th minute but inexplicably chose to pass rather than shoot, and although United won a corner Vidic headed a good chance wide.

Two minutes before half-time Chris Riggott produced a superbly timed block inside the penalty area to deny Berbatov just as he was about to shoot.

In the final action of the half Turnbull's finger-tip save denied Rooney after he had picked up Ronaldo's flick-on.

Ronaldo spent much of his walk to the tunnel complaining to referee Martin Atkinson he should have had a penalty after being grappled to the ground by Emanuel Pogatetz at a corner right on the whistle but the official was unmoved.

Tuncay Sanli could have given the visitors a shock lead in the 62nd minute when he dived to meet Bates' cross into the six-yard area but diverted the ball wide.

Ferguson had seen enough and sent on Scholes and Neville for Darren Fletcher and Rafael.

An indication things were not going United's way was when Park's shot was stopped by Vidic from Rooney's left-wing free-kick.

Moments later the South Korean midfielder was denied again from long range by the outstanding Turnbull, with Ronaldo driving wide on the turn from United's next attack.

But Berbatov finally made the breakthrough in the 69th minute when he volleyed home from close range after Carrick's cross from the left had rebounded off Wheater.

Park then produced a contender for miss of the season when he somehow ballooned over from three yards from Neville's cross.

Turnbull again stopped a Ronaldo thunderbolt as United pressed for a second with Carrick curling a 20-yard shot wide.

Ronaldo's frustrating night was ended when he was replaced by Giggs for the final five minutes.

However, United had done enough to close the gap on leaders Liverpool to seven points with two matches in hand.