Hull City 2 Manchester United 3: match report "I haven't seen the goal back yet, but it was one of my best," Rooney said. It was a massive result for us. We had poor results at the start of the season, but we are fighting now. We are ready for the challenge and we might surprise a few people. To determine whether United can genuinely challenge for the title requires more than a dramatic victory at Hull, but the club trailed Newcastle by 10 points on Christmas Day 1995 and won the title by four points. Eighteen years on, the field is more competitive, but if United continue to show the same fighting spirit when Robin van Persie and Nemanja Vidic return to action, who knows how the second half of the campaign will unfold. It is unlikely to get more dramatic than this, though, a game which had everything, from a chaotic build-up during which Moyes phoned his line-up to the stadium as the United coach crawled through traffic to Antonio Valencia's 90th-minute dismissal for time-wasting. Going into the game, Hull had the best home defensive record in the Premier League, but United began generously at the back, giving the hosts a helping hand in their goals. The first was a combination of good fortune and poor defending when Hull scored from an incorrectly awarded corner. United had ample opportunity to clear, but they gifted Chester his goal as the defender was left unmarked after Alex Bruce had outjumped Patrice Evra. If the defending then was slack, it was non-existent nine minutes later as Yannick Sagbo crossed into the penalty area having beaten full-back Rafael. Jonny Evans stuck out a leg to block the ball, but it fell to the feet of David Meyler 10 yards from goal. David de Gea appeared to have Meyler's shot covered, but Evans's outstretched leg diverted the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net. United were all over the place, but when Rooney escaped a booking - or worse - for a late kick on Tom Huddlestone, it marked a reversal in their fortunes. When Rafael was withdrawn with a groin injury two minutes later, the introduction of Adnan Januzaj brought an instant return, with the teenager winning the free-kick, taken by Rooney, from which Smalling headed United back into the game. They almost equalised two minutes later when Chester deflected Danny Welbeck's header behind the goal. Rooney equalised after 26 minutes with a strike of the highest quality. There appeared little danger when Curtis Davies's misclearance fell at Rooney's feet 25 yards from goal, but the United forward took one touch and sent a ferocious right-foot volley beyond Allan McGregor. The goal made it 208 in a United shirt, leaving him just four short of surpassing Jack Rowley to move to third in the club's all-time scoring charts, with only Denis Law and Bobby Charlton ahead of him. Hull reacted well and, despite having goalkeeper McGregor replaced by Steve Harper at half-time, pushed forward in an attempt to regain the lead. United were forced to repel a series of attacks early in the second half, with Alex Bruce sending a header against the crossbar after 63 minutes. But sensing an opportunity to win the game, Moyes withdrew the tiring Darren Fletcher and replaced him with Javier Hernández rather than the fit-again Michael Carrick, prompting Rooney to drop into midfield. Rooney sat alongside Cleverley, directing the play and finding team-mates with raking passes, but a burst forward on 66 minutes resulted in the goal that put United ahead. When Welbeck fed the ball to Ashley Young on the right, Rooney broke forward in anticipation of the cross, but just as he was set to head home from close range, Chester beat him to it and sent the ball into his own net. Hull fought back again, though, and Danny Graham and Chester both brought crucial saves from De Gea as United held on to claim all three points.