Rooney fires on return as United crush Fulham
Scholes scored
By Chris,
February 20 2009
Manchester United easily swept aside Fulham on Wednesday evening to open up a five-point gap at the top of the Premier League table. Edwin van der Sar kept a fourteenth consecutive clean sheet as goals from Paul Scholes, Dimitar Berbatov and comeback king Wayne Rooney helped the rampant Reds to an easy three points.
United
started brightly and had the lead after only twelve minutes thanks to an error
from Mark Schwarzer. The Fulham stopper blocked Paul Scholes' long-range
volley, but then let the ball spill into the net.
The
Cottagers rarely looked like battling back and United doubled their lead on the
half-hour. Berbatov supplied a neat finish to an awesome passing move from the
world champions. The move finished up with Scholes floating a lovely long pass
to O'Shea, with the Irishman's volley eluding the hapless Schwarzer and
United's Bulgarian frontman was on hand to slot home.
United's
dominance continued and an unambitious Fulham, without a league win on the road
all season, seemed purely interested in damage limitation. The result was put
beyond any serious doubt after the hour-mark as substitute Rooney marked his
return to action with a strike as he turned home a Ji-Sung Park
cross.
The
result leaves United a whopping five points clear at the top of the table ahead
of Saturday's Lancashire derby with Blackburn
at Old Trafford.
Full
Time - Manchester United 3-0 Fulham
Attendance
- 75,437