ManUTD...when the REDS go marching in...

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kueytoc

Posted October 23, 2006

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Posted October 23, 2006

:yeah: Absolutely fantastic play by ManUtd last nite against limp & listless Liverpool.

Report: United 2 Liverpool 0

Paul Scholes, on his 500th appearance for United, led the way in a commanding 2-0 victory over local rivals Liverpool to take the Reds back to the top of the Premiership.

The 31-year-old midfielder, who made his debut 12 years ago, struck the first goal before a fine strike from Rio Ferdinand put the game out of reach against a Liverpool side that were outplayed and outclassed at Old Trafford.

Rarely did Rafael Benitez’s side - still without a win on the road this term and now eleven points behind United - threaten the Reds' dominance, a display of defensive solidarity and midfield possession.

Sir Alex elected to play a midfield four of Darren Fletcher, Scholes, Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs, with Cristiano Ronaldo only making the bench. In a game the United boss expected to be tight and tense, presumably the 21-year-old winger was to be saved for when Liverpool legs grew weary. In the end he wasn't required.

The excellent Fletcher almost engineered United’s first opening inside ten minutes through sheer grit and determination. At first he won the ball following a challenge on Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise, and then when the ball ran free he won a fifty-fifty tackle with Jose Reina who had raced out of his goal. But the Scot's cross was scrambled away. It had set a precedent - these were three points United would not surrender.

In local Derbies, sometimes a fierce tackle can rally the supporters as much as a piece of great skill or trickery. And Wayne Rooney's challenge on Riise moments later got the United fans off their seats as if he had just beaten three men.

Louis Saha caused Liverpool no end of problems, challenging for everything in the air and running with ball at pace. On the 20-minute mark the Frenchman caused a scramble in the Liverpool penalty area. From Carrick’s corner, Vidic flicked the ball on and Saha volleyed back across goal from the far post, which Reina had to punch out before Garcia desperately cleared the danger.

Four minutes later Saha tested Reina’s reflexes again with a stinging shot from the right of the penalty area. Had he placed his shot either side of the Spaniard, he would have been celebrating his seventh goal of the season.

United had the majority of chances but, worryingly, Liverpool occasionally still threatened to break forward from their physically more powerful midfield. Dirk Kuyt had the visitors’ first real chance with 12 minutes of the half remaining when Mark Gonzalez beat Ferdinand for pace and crossed for the Dutchman. Fortunately his header was straight at Edwin van der Sar.

But, the goal United’s attacking play warranted finally came six minutes before the break, and it fittingly fell to Scholes. He started the move with a nodded ball forward to Rooney, who fed Giggs on the left. In the meantime, Scholes had continued his trademark perfectly-timed run into the box. Giggs picked out the diminutive midfielder’s darted run, and although Reina saved his first side-footed effort, Scholes beat Sami Hyypia to the rebound to bundle it over the line.

The Reds pushed on. Saha went close again moments later, Reina’s fingertip save pushing the French forward’s low, long-range shot past the post. United’s half-time lead was deserved, but it was almost taken away just before the break when Xabi Alonso’s curling effort from the edge of the box went inches past the upright.

The first 20 minutes of the second half offered few goalscoring opportunities, but despite the wait, United fans were treated to phenomenal piece of skill and emphatic finishing… from Rio Ferdinand. The Reds’ centre-half ventured forward for a corner and remained in the box when the ball came back out to Giggs. The Welsh winger's right-footed cross was spooned up in the air by Jamie Carragher and fell to Ferdinand. Shaping to shoot, he brought the ball down with his right foot and turned into space in one motion, before smashing his shot into the far top corner with his left. Delighted United fans gloated, “…as the Reds go marching on, on, on!”

Rafael Benitez, still looking for his first league win over Sir Alex, brought on Peter Crouch and moved the relatively anonymous Steven Gerrard into the centre. But it made little difference. United were in control with the midfield four dominating possession. Liverpool could have few complaints with the result. They were limited to half chances all afternoon, while United were positive throughout and got the just rewards.

Team Line-ups

United: Van der Sar, Neville © (O’Shea, 78), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Saha.

Subs not used: Kuszczak, Brown, Ronaldo, Solskjaer.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Garcia, Alonso (Crouch, 70), Sissoko, Gerrard ©, Gonzalez (Pennant, 53), Kuyt.

Subs not used: Dudek, Warnock, Paletta.

Attendance: 75,828 (Record United crowd)