Jones strikes to lift Man United, eliminate Shakhtar

Manchester: Manchester United midfielder Phil Jones grabbed the winner to make sure they finished top of Champions League Group A as they eliminated Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

England international Jones cracked home a low volley in the 67th minute to secure a win for United, top of their group before kickoff but having lost their last two Premier League home matches, and ease the pressure on manager David Moyes. Ukrainian champions Shakhtar, who needed to match Bayer Leverkusen`s result at Real Sociedad to progress, finished third and go into the Europa League after Leverkusen held on for a 1-0 win in Spain that took them through to the knockout phase. Shakhtar`s Brazilian trio of Taison, Alex Teixeira and Luiz Adriano gave vulnerable United a torrid time early on, but Mircea Lucescu`s side could not convert any of their promising opportunities and they fell away after Jones broke the deadlock.