MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Goals from Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes either side of the interval earned Manchester United a 2-0 home victory over Charlton that inched them closer to the English Premiership leaders.
Despite Charlton showing little ambition at Old Trafford, United laboured to victory in Sir Alex Ferguson`s 999th game in charge.
Ferguson was delighted with the way his side overpowered the Addicks.
"We controlled the game and created a lot of chances," said Ferguson. "We have got to keep at it with Charlton, because these determined sides just keep on going, but we handled it well."
And the United manager urged his side to build on the result to close the gap on Chelsea.
"We need to get a run going right through December, so that come New Year`s Day we are right in it.
"January is when people start looking at the table. That is when you know who is in the frame," added Ferguson.
Scholes was elated to have finally scored his first goal of the season.
"It has been a while coming, so I enjoyed it when it happened," he said.
"In the last couple of weeks I`ve had a few chances and felt I was coming closer to scoring.
"I`ve no idea why I haven`t been scoring, but I have been trying as hard as ever to score goals and create chances."
"The team has struggled for goals, but in the last couple of weeks we`ve started creating a lot more chances.
"It`s frustrating because we have six players who are capable of regularly scoring goals.
"Its difficult to play against a side (like Charlton) that floods the midfield. Not unlike most teams when they come here they don`t think about scoring a goal," said Scholes.
Sharing his manager`s optimism, Scholes blasted the critics who have already dismissed United`s title challenge.
"Time will tell if we`ve been written off too early for the title this season," he said.
"No matter how many points we`re behind we will give it a shot," he said.
Ferguson decided to break down a resolute Charlton side by playing a five man midfield, with Wayne Rooney and Giggs taking it in turns to act as support strikers for Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The Dutchman had been a doubt prior to the game after aggravating a hamstring injury while playing for his national side in midweek.
And for large parts of the opening period it seemed as though he was still struggling with injury.
Frequently offside and failing to play the focal point his team needed him to be, Van Nistelrooy and United laboured to break down Charlton`s deep lying defence.
It was on the few occasions United managed to get round the back that they looked dangerous.
In only the second minute Wes Brown managed to ghost down the right and pick out Van Nistelrooy with a perfect cross.
The out of sorts Dutchman, unmarked in the centre of the box, could only head weakly at Charlton keeper Dean Kiely.
Though defending well, the Addicks carried little attacking intent to indicate they were capable of recording their first ever Premiership victory at Old Trafford.
As the half-time approached United, reacting to the murmurs of discontent among the home faithful tried to step up their game.
Darren Fletcher just failed to connect with a dangerous Giggs centre that agonisingly went the whole way across the Addicks box.
Scholes fired two warning shots at the visitors goal within quick succession, the second a delicious volley from the edge of the box stung Kiely`s palms.
Just as it looked as though Charlton would achieve their first objective of getting to the break unscathed disaster struck.
An innocuous long clearance was flicked on by Rooney into the path of Giggs, who set off on a mazy run towards goal.
As he approached the penalty area, an untimely slip by Chris Perry allowed the Welshman to get a sight of goal, and his shot took a wicked deflection off Luke Young and squirted past Kiely`s despairing dive.
The goal clearly deflated Charlton, and allowed United to impose themselves in the second half.
And it only took five minutes for Scholes to grab the decisive second.
The former England midfielder was inexplicably left unmarked at the far post and he found the net with a scissor kick.

11/20/2004 - 16:22 GMT - AFP