Både Fabien Barthez, Roy Keane og Paul Scholes havde fået lov at overvære kampen i slips og skjorte, mens Ryan Giggs og Andy Cole startede på bænken.
Det havde givet plads til en Man U-debutant i form af den 20-årige midtbanespiller Michael Stewart, mens spillere som Quinton Fortune og Ronny Johnsen vendte tilbage til startopstillingen.
Og Fergusons gambling gav næsten omgående resultat, da endnu en marginalspiller, Phil Neville, bragte mestrene foran allerede efter 4 minutter.
Neville skød frem til dagens midtbanegeneral David Beckhams stikning og sendte med stor sikkerhed bolden forbi Mark Schwarzer i Boro-målet.
Efter at have sundet sig i nogle minutter pressede hjemmeholdet voldsomt på for den vigtige udligning. Middlesbrough gav aldrig op og havde også bolden i nettet en enkelt gang. Men Ugo Ehiogus scoring blev annulleret for offside.
Ehiogu fik ram på et vildfarent skud, efter Middlesbrough havde fået et frispark på kanten af feltet. På grund af Phil Nevilles protester fik målscoreren en advarsel og frisparket blev flyttet 10 meter frem, så det lå blot 10 meter fra mål. Carlos Marinellis forsøg blev rettet af, men Ehiogus afslutning blev altså sendt ind fra strafbar offside-postion.
Selvom en Middlesbrough-udligning kunne have været fortjent, var det altså i stedet Manchester United, der lukkede kampen 6 minutter før tid.
David Beckham viste sin betydning for holdet i dagens ledende rolle, da han udnyttede indskiftede Ryan Giggs' frispilning til scoring med et fladt skud.
Middlesbrough-Manchester United 0-2 (0-1)
4. 0-1 Phil Neville, 84. 0-2 David Beckham
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer - Gavin, Ehiogu, Vickers, Cooper (85. Mustoe) - Stamp (67. Marinelli), Ince, Okon - Windass, Ricard (85. Gordon), Boksic
Bænken: Crossley, Deane
Advarsler: Gavin, Okon
Manchester United: Van Gouw - Brown, Stam, Johnsen, Neville - Beckham, Stewart (85. Chadwick), Butt, Fortune (71. Giggs)- Solskjær (75. Cole), Sheringham
Bænken: Rachubka, Yorke
Advarsler: Stewart, Beckham, P Neville
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