IT was a memorable day for Sir Alex Ferguson, but it was also almost as satisfying for Sunderland.

On the day when Old Trafford paid tribute to the manager they regard as the 'greatest' by renaming their North Stand in his name, the Black Cats came close to earning a point.

Sunderland, who worryingly lost striker Connor Wickham in the fifth minute through injury, defended strongly from start to finish. In the end, though, a goal in added time at the end of the first half proved the only difference.

There were debates about who actually scored it. Eventually it was credited to United old-boy Wes Brown, who went up with Danny Welbeck and Jack Colback to help Nani's corner in with his head.

Sunderland had had their moments before that opener, with Seb Larsson and Nicklas Bendtner going close. While they also felt aggrieved 20 minutes from time when they thought they should have had a penalty.

The assistant referee put his flag across his chest to award a spot-kick when Ji Dong-Won went up in the box with Nemanja Vidic to meet Larsson's cross.

It could have been handball from either player while there were also claims Ji had been held down when Vidic climbed above him. However, referee Lee Mason overruled the decision and United stayed ahead.

There were incidents at both ends – including a fabulous double save from Keiren Westwood to deny powerful shots from Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra – but Sunderland could find no breakthrough.

Ferguson will be satisfied with a fourth successive win, but his former captain Steve Bruce will be left to reflect on a defeat and the extent of the damage suffered by Wickham The teenager had to be replaced early on after he fell innocuously when he charged over to try to block a clearance from Rio Ferdinand and will undergo tests in the next 24 hours to determine the damage.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): Lindegaard; Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Park, Fletcher (Fabio 90), Rooney, Nani; Welbeck (Berbatov 73), Hernandez. Subs: De Gea (gk), Evans, Carrick, Valencia, Diouf.

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Westwood; Bardsley, Turner, Brown, Richardson; Larsson, Colback (Meyler 75), Cattermole, Sessegnon (Elmohamady 75); Bendtner, Wickham 5 (Ji 5, 5). Subs: Gardner, McClean, Carson (gk), Egan.