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Manchester United edged an error-strewn encounter with Hull to close to within two points of leaders Chelsea in the race for the Premier League title.

Wayne Rooney drew first blood for United on the stroke of half-time, but later made a calamitous back-pass which paved the way for a Hull penalty.

Craig Fagan levelled from the spot, but Rooney made amends when his low cross led to an Andy Dawson own goal.

Dimitar Berbatov then sealed the win after a pin-point pass from Rooney.

At a stage of the season when champions United traditionally begin to hit their stride, the victory closed the gap on Chelsea after they were held to a goalless draw at Birmingham on Saturday.

But for all Rooney’s influence, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men – who arrived on Humberside in wounded-animal mode after suffering two defeats in their previous three Premier League outings – were rarely at their best.

In fairness that had much to do with Hull, whose industry and commitment proved formidable obstacles despite some hairy moments for goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, most notably when he miscued a first-half clearance.

Having seen his team charged by the Football Association after last weekend’s mass confrontation at Arsenal, Phil Brown had looked to foster a siege mentality among his players in the build-up.

And his players clearly bought into the billing of unfairly-punished underdogs as they absorbed United’s strong start and were unlucky to be denied an early penalty.

Fagan found Richard Garcia with a precise through-ball, but as the Australia international raced into the area he was upended by a sliding tackle from Nemanja Vidic that prompted furious protests from Hull.

It was Alan Wiley, the referee whose fitness was questioned by Ferguson after United’s 2-2 draw against Sunderland earlier this season, who came to the visitors’ rescue.

Wiley saw nothing wrong with the challenge, but no sooner had he waved away the complaints than Hull were at United again, Seyi Olofinjana forcing a fine reflex save from Tomasz Kuszczak.

Another opportunity to open the scoring went begging when Olofinjana put Stephen Hunt through only for the Republic of Ireland midfielder to shoot wide.

As the misses mounted for Hull, the feeling grew that there would be a price to pay against a United side desperate to bounce back following last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Fulham.

The return of a trio of defenders in Rafael da Silva, Vidic and Wes Brown provided a platform for United to go forward with greater confidence, and although their attacking fluency was never at its best, they nonetheless offered plenty of threat.

Giggs twice went close early on, volleying on to the roof of the net before rippling the side-netting with a free-kick, while Rooney and Rafael both forced acrobatic saves from Myhill.

The danger was clear and, sure enough, with the interval beckoning Darren Fletcher swung in a near-post cross from the right flank, Giggs deflected it to Rooney, and the lurking England man prodded home from close-range.

With the hour mark approaching, however, Rooney gifted Hull a reprieve, directing a woeful back-pass to Kuszczak which was intercepted by Fagan.

Da Silva bundled over Jozy Altidore from the resulting cross, and Fagan shot unerringly past Kuszczak to ensure that there would be no repeat of Geovanni’s missed spot kick against Arsenal last week.

Sensing the possibility of a win that would lift them clear of the relegation zone, Hull poured forward in search of a winner, but their enterprise was to prove their undoing.

With 17 minutes remaining, Giggs led a United counter-attack, slotting the ball through for Rooney to direct a low cross towards substitute Ji-Sung Park which the sliding Dawson could only direct into his own net.

And Rooney was once again at the heart of the action as United put the polish on their win with eight minutes remaining, directing a slide-rule pass through the legs of Anthony Gardner that enabled Berbatov to score with a tap-in.

Ryan Giggs's nomination for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award is definitely merited.

Based on his achievements throughout an outstanding career as a professional, winning the award would be the very least he deserves.

He epitomises professionalism in the manner that he conducts himself on and off the pitch. He is a humble, dedicated individual and I am glad that he has been recognized with this nomination.

Given his success with Manchester United, he has a bulging trophy cabinet at home, but had not picked up too many individual awards before finally winning the PFA Player's Player of the Year last season.

His commitment has always been to the team over the individual and the major shame with Ryan is that he hasn't been given the international platform to showcase his class regularly on the international stage.

He will go down as an absolute legend at Manchester United and one of the Premier League's greats, and is certainly one of the shining lights in the game. In my opinion, he is one of the very best in this era which is a major credit to Ryan given the calibre of players we have seen since the inception of the Premier League.

He is an excellent example of how to extend a career through the right mental and physical preparation. His understated attitude to playing is phenomenal with the right level of rest, nutrition and hydration around the game proving vital to his success.

From a personal perspective, I am committed to emulate the longevity of Ryan Giggs's career in my own, looking to play at the very top level when I am 36.

As you get older it is important to adapt your game slightly. I think the most important thing is that you become more astute in your decision making.

You cannot look to go out with the same intensity for 90 minutes as you did when you were fresh on the scene at 21, and you have to be more selective with your options.

Around the game, there is naturally greater emphasis on rest and recovery, and also the diet in order to replenish accordingly. Of course, these factors are important throughout a career, but they certainly become integral to prolonging a career as you age.