LONDON: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will continue the hunt for a new striker after they needed a penalty shoot-out to win the Community Shield for a second straight season.

With Cristiano Ronaldo injured and Wayne Rooney missing because of a virus, European champions United hit the bar, had several chances saved and were denied what looked a penalty as Portsmouth forced a 0-0 draw in the traditional season opener between the English champions and FA Cup holders. Carlos Tevez, Ryan Giggs and substitute Michael Carrick finally scored in the shoot-out to give United a 3-1 win over a Portsmouth team that missed two kicks and had another saved by Edwin van der Sar.

It was a deserved win for the English and European champions, who outclassed their opponents. Although Ferguson declared himself happy with the performance, he acknowledged that he was aiming to beef up his attack, possibly before United's English Premier League opener against Newcastle on Sunday.

United have had an offer for Dimitar Berbatov rejected by Tottenham and have been linked with moves for Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz and Barcelona's Thierry Henry - although Ferguson would not reveal the identity of his targets.

"There's a name every day," Ferguson said. "You'll get that in this business with modern journalism. But it's possible. We're trying. We have one or two options we're looking at and hopefully we can get something done before the start of the season."

Ferguson, though, said Rooney could be fit to play against Newcastle and would be happy to take on the Magpies with an unchanged squad. "We had dominated possession and had good chances in the match," he said. "But if you're making chances, as many as we made today, you shouldn't worry about it."

Much of United's threat came from Tevez and Nani, who was filling in on the left wing for fellow Portugal forward Ronaldo, who is out until October following ankle surgery. United had already forged two chances when Tevez then headed wide from Darren Fletcher's right-wing cross in the 17th minute. Goalkeeper David James then saved a shot from Ryan Giggs at his near post before Fletcher somehow failed to convert the clearest chance of the game from eight yards.

Nani stole possession from dithering right back Glen Johnson and sent in a low cross from the left, only for Fletcher to slide in marginally too soon and find the ball trapped under his body rather than shooting off his foot into an open goal.

United captain Gary Neville, who missed much of last season with injury, led his teammates up the Wembley stairs to hoist the Shield and mark United's record 13th win in the 100-year-old competition - a tournament so venerable that the proceeds from it were once dedicated to survivors and bereaved families of Titanic disaster.

AP