Manchester United 3 - 0 Bolton Wanderers: Paul Scholes goal spurs United to victory

On only his second appearance since his retirement U-turn, the 37-year-old tapped home Wayne Rooney’s cross-shot at the far-post in first-half stoppage time to give the hosts a priceless lead after Rooney had seen his penalty saved by Adam Bogdan.After a frustrating second-half, Danny Welbeck and Michael Carrick eventually sealed victory late on, ensuring United now only trail neighbours Manchester City, who do not play until tomorrow night, on goal difference.

After Thierry Henry’s match- winning effort for Arsenal on Monday, it was perhaps destined that Scholes would come up with something special once he was confirmed as a member of the United starting line-up.

Had referee Peter Walton not been feeling charitable, it could easily have been a red card for Scholes, his thigh-high assault on Mark Davies was pretty poor in a week when refereeing inconsistencies within the English game have been a talking point.

However, after a couple of cracking long-range shots, Scholes saved the drama until first-half stoppage time. Having peeled away to the far post, he was perfectly placed to turn home a Rooney cross-shot, which Welbeck had failed to get a touch to.

It was the 151st United goal of Scholes’ career, and his first since August 2010, meaning he has equalled last season’s tally in just two appearances after abandoning his job coaching the club’s reserve team.

It was tough luck on the visitors, particularly their goalkeeper Bogdan, who had denied Rooney from the spot after Zac Knight’s push on Wellbeck.

Bolton wasted an excellent opportunity to equalise straight after the restart when United’s defence, not for the first time, got themselves into a tangle, which allowed Davies to race into the area.

He found David Ngog but, with an unmarked Martin Petrov, screaming for a lay-off, the former Liverpool man scooped his shot high over the bar.

This was a warning for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, although there was no immediate end to the chances being wasted.

United’s second arrived 15 minutes from time, with Welbeck prodding his eighth goal of the season beyond Bogdan after reaching Rooney’s lay-off ahead of Sam Ricketts. The striker took a kick on the back of the leg for his pains, though, and had to be replaced by Javier Hernandez.

But it failed to interrupt the hosts’ momentum and, after striding on to Ryan Giggs’ square pass, Carrick curled a superb left-footed shot past Bogdan from 25 yards.

After successive defeats, it was just what United needed as ahead of a tough sequence of fixtures, starting at Arsenal next weekend, which are likely to determine their chances of retaining the title.