> Manchester United 1 - 0 Birmingham City | Report

It wasn't vintage United but a second-half Cristiano Ronaldo strike gave the Reds victory at St Andrews against a resilient Birmingham City.

Steve Bruce's side arguably created the better chances, especially in the opening stages, but Ronaldo, starting his 100th league match for United, was again the match-winner away from home.

The Reds looked shaky at the back early on, but Sir Alex will have been more concerned by losing Edwin van der Sar to a toe injury. The Dutch goalkeeper fell awkwardly after a routine save and was forced off at the break.

The United boss made wholesale changes to the side that lost to Coventry in the Carling Cup on Wednesday, with all 11 who started in the Reds' victory over Chelsea returning to action.

Van der Sar, aiming to keep his sixth consecutive clean sheet, was among them, although he wouldn't have expected to be called into action in the first minute, and certainly not after a Paul Scholes error. But it was the Reds' no.18 who was caught in possession 35 yards from goal, which allowed Cameron Jerome to stride towards goal and let fly with a shot that required quick reactions from the goalkeeper.

Frank Queudrue was first to meet the resulting corner, and his powerful downward header forced another smart save from van der Sar.

United had come out of the traps sluggishly but not even those early scares could jolt the Reds into life. The home side continued to fashion the better chances and went even closer on 18 minutes when Gary McSheffrey's header was cleared off the line by Rio Ferdinand.

In truth, the opportunity should never have presented itself. Patrice Evra, under close attention from former Arsenal trainee Sebastian Larsson, was careless in shepherding the ball out of play. The Swede nipped in to dispossess the United left back and clip the ball to the far post, where McSheffrey headed back across goal only for Ferdinand to hook clear from underneath the crossbar.

At the other end, Cristiano Ronaldo, who'd earlier drawn a foul that earned Queudrue the game's first booking, twisted and turned on the edge of the box before firing a low drive straight at Blues goalkeeper Maik Taylor. It was the first time the Reds had really threatened in a match many had expected them to win comfortably.

But just ask Liverpool: Birmingham are no pushovers. At Anfield last weekend, Steve Bruce's side came away with a 0-0 draw after a spirited and robust defensive display. At St. Andrews there was more of the same, with an added attacking element thrown into the mix. Cameron Jerome and Olivier Kapo were lively up front, with Gary McSheffrey providing plenty of support from behind.

In contrast, United looked blunt going forward, with neither Wayne Rooney nor Carlos Tevez able to find a way behind the Blues' back four. Even so, there was even more cause for concern at the back, especially after van der Sar required treatment on his toe.

Shortly afterwards, the Dutchman left his area to deal with a through ball and scuffed his clearance straight to Jerome. But with van der Sar scurrying back and the expectations of Birmingham's support resting squarely on his shoulders, the 20-year-old couldn't muster enough elevation in his strike to clear Nemanja Vidic.

With van der Sar visibly struggling, Rio Ferdinand assumed responsibility for the remainder of the first-half goal kicks before Polish stopper Tomasz Kuszczak came on at the interval.

The Reds emerged brighter in the second half and good work from Ryan Giggs and Carlos Tevez on the left side of the penalty area ended with the Argentinean forcing a routine save from Blues goalkeeper Taylor.

Moments later, Taylor was picking the ball out of the net as United shot into the lead. Cristiano Ronaldo pounced on sloppy Frank Queudrue defending on the edge of the box before confidently rounding Taylor and finishing with his left foot. It was the Portuguese winger's first league goal from open play since February and it gave the Reds a vital, if not wholly deserved, lead.

Kuszczak showed his worth on 56 minutes when a McSheffrey shot skipped off Ferdinand and looked set for the net before the Polish goalkeeper intervened with a flying save at the near post. The impressive McSheffrey then saw a free kick fizz inches wide of the post before Wayne Rooney had a shot cleared off the line and Carlos Tevez blasted over from 18 yards.

The Reds were growing in confidence with every passing minute and Ronaldo perhaps should have had a second on 80 minutes when he skewed a shot wide from 12 yards. In the end, his first strike was enough to secure all three points and send United second in the league, despite a performance that was neither convincing nor comfortable. But that's football sometimes and the statisticians – Sir Alex, too – will care only for the final result.