Manchester United 2 Charlton 0Being on Premiership duty while the Champions League semi-finals swung into action might have been as appealing to Manchester United as a barbecue in the rain.
Instead Alex Ferguson's players ensured this was anything but a night of melancholy with the sort of easy win that has become increasingly rare at Old Trafford this season.
United have been forced to lower their sights but they will still cherish a highly competent display that, courtesy of goals from Louis Saha and Gary Neville, has elevated them to within a point of Chelsea in the pursuit of the second automatic qualification spot for next season's Champions League.
Finishing ahead of Chelsea as runners-up to Arsenal would also swell United's resources by £545,000 in prize money but the supporters of England's biggest club are clearly under no illusions that, to Ferguson, coming second is really first last.
This was one of those nights when Old Trafford struggled to find its voice and there was also the rare sight of empty seats in the Stretford End, contributing to the lowest league crowd here all season.
In fairness to Ferguson's players they at least did their best to rouse the crowd. United began the match with pace and purpose and, though Charlton occasionally threatened on the counter-attack, the home side could also reflect on missed opportunities for Wes Brown and Phil Neville (twice) before Louis Saha gave them a lead that was well merited.
Neville replaced John O'Shea at left-back and Ferguson's selection of David Bellion, Nicky Butt and Eric Djemba-Djemba ahead of Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Roy Keane indicated that, however intent he is on supplanting Chelsea in second place, his priority is to preserve his most influential players for more important fixtures - starting with Saturday's visit of Liverpool but most notably the FA Cup final against Millwall on May 22th.
There was, however, a return for the fit-again Ruud van Nistelrooy and in fairness to the much-maligned Bellion he made a telling contribution to Saha's seventh goal in his 11 appearances since signing from Fulham in January.
At 21, Bellion is of the age when he should no longer be considered, as Ferguson says, "one for the future" but the coltish attacker is blessed with a turn of speed that could threaten most defenders and it was from one of these bursts that United profited in the 28th minute.
Alan Curbishley, the Charlton manager, will have been appalled by the manner in which his players stood off Bellion as he ran with the ball, cutting inside from the left and advancing on goal before slipping a precise ball into Saha's path. His countryman had anticipated the ball and ran confidently on to the pass and score with an angled left-foot drive.
Ferguson had also recalled Tim Howard in goal ahead of Roy Carroll. This was his first match since the mistake that allowed Porto's Costinha to eliminate United from the Champions League and Curbishley is entitled to be disappointed that his players did not do more to expose any potential nerves.
Instead, Charlton continued to look lacklustre after the break, as if it had escaped them that they could have gone into fourth position with a victory. Only Matt Holland and Claus Jensen emerged with any real credit for the visitors and United duly punished them midway through the second half.
Gary Neville began the move from inside United's half, continued his run and when he received the ball back from Saha, the most impressive player on the pitch, the England defender capped a wonderful flowing move with a precise shot past Dean Kiely.
Neville has now scored twice in three starts, having waited three years before then. Van Nistelrooy then hit a post, as did Shaun Bartlett for Charlton, and the final score from Monaco capped off a satisfying night for United's followers even if they might have wished this match never took place.
MANCHESTER UTD: Howard, Gary Neville, Brown, Silvestre, Phil Neville, Fletcher (Ronaldo 83), Butt (Keane 74), Djemba-Djemba, Bellion, Saha (Giggs 65), van Nistelrooy. Subs Not Used: Carroll, O'Shea. Goals: Saha 28, Gary Neville 65.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC: Kiely, Young, Fortune, Powell (Perry 83), Konchesky, Jensen, Stuart (Di Canio 74), Holland, Hreidarsson, Johansson (Euell 63), Bartlett. Subs Not Used: Royce, Cole. Booked: Konchesky.
Referee: S Dunn (Gloucestershire).
