MANCHESTER UNITED 3
Rooney (6), Saha (45), Ronaldo (84)
MANCHESTER CITY 1
Trabelsi (72)
Report: Man United 3 Man City 1
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his Player of the Month award with a
killer assist for Wayne Rooney and a crucial third goal as United
went nine points clear at the top of the Premiership.
Ronaldo had barely handed back his Barclays trophy when he won the
first free-kick, just ten seconds into this lunchtime contest. His
assailant wasnt Ben Thatcher, too slow out of the traps as
Cristiano skipped past him; instead it was Joey Barton who steamed
in to send the Reds winger flying over the South Stand
touchline.
Uniteds first corner caused some alarm in the City rearguard as
Carrick rose to glance a header wide from Giggs curling setpiece.
Another cross from the right set up Wayne Rooney for a fantastic
first goal in the 5th minute.
Ronaldo took the ball down on his chest, strode defiantly towards
the baying away support and whipped the yellow sphere into the box
with his right foot. The low centre beat not one but two miskicking
centre-halves the apparently solid duo of Distin and Dunne and
landed perfectly for Rooney to gleefully grab the opener.
With the Blues reeling, the Reds almost bagged an immediate
follow-up as Saha threaded a pass through to Rooney. But as Wayne
bore down on goal and prepared to pull the trigger, City skipper
Dunne dropped to his knees and somehow smuggled the ball away from
danger. It was a fortunate escape for a frantic defence.
The only surprise about Uniteds bright start was the first goal
preceding the inevitable first booking for Thatcher on Ronaldo. It
took the Wales full-back 15 minutes to get himself in bother for a
bodycheck on the Reds number seven.
Citys other full-back, Micah Richards, lived up to his growing
reputation when he came close to scoring a shock equaliser. A high
ball dropped beyond the battling Vidic and Samaras on the edge of
the box and the advancing Richards, under challenge from his fellow
England defender Ferdinand, headed it beyond the far post.
US international Claudio Reyna earned Citys second yellow card
for dissent before this lively game moved up another gear to
bring both goalkeepers into service. First, the rejuvenated Nicky
Weaver playing in only his second derby beat away a fierce shot
from Rooney. Then van der Sar did well to prevent Citys
counter-attack spoiling the party, the Dutchman saving from Samaras
after Corradi knocked down Dunnes chip.
Samaras had another chance to beat van der Sar when the goalkeeper
stretched to push away Bartons deep cross from the right. But the
Greek striker took too long to turn into a shooting position, long
enough to allow Ferdinand to cover and block.
Ronaldo was much quicker on the draw when he was fed by Scholes but
his left-foot shot was saved by Weaver. Saha later had time and
space to produce a better effort than the one which flew high and
wide into the East Stand.
The Stretford End held its breath when Citys last corner of the
half, from Barton on the left, found the head of Richards and the
right-back sent a powerful header towards goal. The hapless Samaras
got in the way but controlled the ball and spun to fire wide.
Saha made amends for his miss just before the break when he dashed
into the six-yard box to beat Weaver and Dunne to Heinzes driven
low cross and stabbed the ball in off the crossbar. Like Vidics
equaliser against Benfica, Sahas strike against City was perfectly
timed forcing the opposition manager to tear out his hair and
tear up his script for the interval team-talk.
Stuart Pearce also had to change his team-sheet, bringing on
Andreas Isaksson for Weaver presumably injured as Saha scored
and Stephen Ireland for Reyna. Both of Citys subs had important
touches of the ball in the opening minutes of the secondhalf. The
goalkeeper smothered a low shot at one end and Ireland forced
another save at the other with a left-foot strike that van der Sar
parried.
Isaksson's next two saves were more difficult - finger-tipping
Giggs' far-post rocket over the top and before that diving smartly
to block Rooney's drive after Scholes weaved his way through the
City pack. Sadly, Saha skied the rebound goalwards.
Graham Poll booked two more players before the hour was up - Rooney
for a foul of frustration on former Everton team-mate Dunne and
Corradi for using an elbow in aerial combat with Vidic.
Rooney continued his battle with the City goalkeeper but the Swede
was twice successful in the space of a few minutes, diving to his
left to deal with a mid-range shot and then producing the save of
the match, month and maybe the season when he parried a point-blank
volley from Giggs' left-wing cross.
Isaksson's acrobatics were crowned by Trabelsi's brilliant goal in
the 73rd minute. City could have been three, four or more goals
down but now they were just 2-1 behind after the Tunisian
midfielder's rising strike beat van der Sar in the top right-hand
corner and bounced in off the crossbar.
United had by now withdrawn one striker - O'Shea replacing Saha -
but City kept their attackers on, sensing they might just snatch an
equaliser. They had little choice - Richards' hip injury forced
Pearce to make his third change at the back with Nedum Onuoha
coming on.
Van der Sar had one or two rocky moments as the game entered its
final ten minutes. Gary Neville cleared the lines on a couple of
occasions but nothing settles the nerves like a two-goal cushion.
Ronaldo provided it, tucking the ball home from close range after
Dunne failed to clear another cross, from the ever-dangerous
Rooney.
It was a brilliant end to one of the best derbies at Old Trafford
for several years - in our biased view, of course.
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