In the nick of time: Javier Hernandez shoots to score
Manchester United's winner
They brought their
sombreros to Old Trafford last night in honour of a new hero.
Javier Hernandez,
Manchester
United’s new Mexican forward, did not
let them down.
Watching a goalscorer in full
flow when the confidence is pulsing through the veins is a
remarkable thing. You know, just as they know, that at some point
they will score. United have two such strikers who were not
required last night.
Michael Owen, one of the
finest marksmen of his generation, was in the stands while Wayne
Rooney was in a posh hotel in Dubai. The one who mattered, though, was on the
pitch.
He is very much the man of the
moment for Sir Alex Ferguson and his misfiring team and last night
Hernandez - alias Chicharito or Little Pea - needed only nine
minutes as a substitute to win this game.
During a first half as
wretched as anything you will ever see, an Old Trafford crowd of
45,000 was almost lulled in to a slumber. At full-time they roared
their team from the field. That is what a goalscorer can do almost
on his own.
With the game at 2-2 and
seemingly heading for extra time, deep into the 89th minute United
mounted one last forward movement. And as Hernandez charged through
the middle he was picked out by Darron Gibson. Once Hernandez
collected possession it was clear he would score.
He may only be 22 but he has
the nerves of a veteran. Drawing his right foot back to shoot, he
forced Steven Mouyokolo and keeper Wayne Hennessey to go to ground.
When he then checked inside to set up the goal with his left foot,
the rest was a formality.
‘He was absolutely brilliant,’
raved Ferguson. ‘They build up heroes very quickly here but
he is justifying the praise and quite right.
‘We just knew when he came on
that if he got a chance then he would take it. It was an absolutely
magnificent finish. He dummied the defender really well.
‘The area that is improving
with him is his touch and control and also his vision. That’s
because the training is intense. We care about our training and we
make sure our players improve.’
Perhaps the only player in the
United dressing room who may have felt a shred of envy when
Hernandez followed up his two goals at Stoke with the winner here
was the Portuguese starlet Bebe.
Happy days: Bebe celebrates after scoring Manchester
United's opener against Wolves
Over and out: Bebe's shot drops under the crossbar and
just over the line
Starting his first game
at Old Trafford since his £7.4million summer move from Guimaraes,
Bebe crowned a performance of promise with a goal in the 56th
minute. By full-time it had all but been
forgotten.
‘He doesn’t have the same
advantage as Hernandez as he doesn’t speak the language,’
added Ferguson. ‘But he is having his lessons twice a week
and he will be fine. I was pleased with him.’
Bebe’s goal was somewhat
overdue as this had been a wretched game early on. United had made
11 changes from the team that beat Stoke while
Wolves had only four
players remaining from their 2-0 defeat by Chelsea. Frankly, it showed. The game desperately
needed a goal, even if it was a rather peculiar one.
Tall and rangy, Bebe had shown
a willingness to attack left back George Elokobi and it was one
such run that led to the goal. Elokobi managed to get something on
Bebe’s cross but it served only to loop the ball over keeper
Hennessey. Kevin Foley looked briefly to have headed clear from the
line but the goal was rightly given after crossing the
line.
From this point United should
have eased towards the next round. However, Ferguson’s team don’t do anything easily these days
and Wolves could have won the game over the course of the peculiar
20 minutes that followed.
Heads up: George
Elokobi scores a first equaliser for Wolves at Old
Trafford
On target: Ji-Sung Park fires United 2-1 in front
Leveller: Kevin Foley brings Wolves level at 2-2
Riled by United’s
goal, Wolves took just four minutes to equalise. A corner was swung
in from the right and Elokobi rose to head in from only six yards.
Stephen Hunt, usually reliable in front of goal, clipped the top of
the bar when he really should have scored from 18 yards and then
former United midfield player David Jones was similarly wasteful
and his shot went wide.
Wolves were playing with
confidence and spirit and manager Mick McCarthy deserves credit.
Too few teams visit Old Trafford with two centre forwards but
McCarthy’s did and with a little more composure from his players he
could have been rewarded.
As it was, United’s Ji-sung
Park was next to score, running through to finish well with his
right foot with 20 minutes left, only for Wolves to exploit more
slack defending to equalise again through Foley.
Again Wolves had the chance to
take the lead and this time it surely would have been the winner.
Once again, though, a visiting player could not hit the target as
the goal gaped. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was the culprit and it felt
like the defining moment of the game.
‘We have to take our chances
when we come to a place like this,’ said McCarthy. ‘Apart from that
I was delighted with our performance.’
His frustration was
understandable. Wolves had stood toe to toe with United during an
engaging second half. Goalscorers, though, make all the
difference.
Ravel
Morrison
Midfielder, 17
Supremely gifted, but needs to stay on the straight and narrow. He
made his senior debut in stoppage time last night.
Robert
Brady
Winger, 18
Quickly rose through the United ranks. An Ireland Under 19
international, he was handed a first-team squad number earlier this
month.
Magnus
Eikrem
Midfielder, 20
Spotted at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s soccer school four years ago.
Nominated for the reserve team player of the year award last
season.
He's only gone and done it again: Hernandez celebrates
his winner
