| By Sam Fox,
on 23-12-2006 15:58
|
Views : 736 |
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 Two Ronaldo goals including one where he ran from the halfway line to score and a 25 yard volley from Scholes got United back on track and renewed their 5 point advantage over Chelsea.
sportinglife.com Leaders Manchester United gradually seized control of their Barclays Premiership clash at Aston Villa but were unable to make a first half breakthrough. Sir Alex Ferguson's side created several decent opportunities with Park Ji-Sung, Cristiano Ronaldo and Darren Fletcher going close. Villa's best opportunity saw rookie midfielder Craig Gardner hit the post with a header from a Gareth Barry free-kick. Manchester United midfielder Ji-Sung Park made only his second Premiership start of the season as Sir Alex Ferguson made three changes for the game. The South Korean has been sidelined for three months with an ankle problem and his only other league start was back in August. Ferguson decided to rest Wayne Rooney, who had started every league game this season apart from when he had to serve a three-match ban at the beginning of the campaign. With Michael Carrick (ankle) sidelined, Darren Fletcher was brought back into midfield while Patrice Evra replaced Gabriel Heinze at left-back. Villa midfielder Gavin McCann had recovered from the hamstring injury which forced him to be substituted at half-time against Bolton. But there was still a place in the first 11 for Craig Gardner and, with Milan Baros dropped, it appeared that Gabriel Agbonlahor would push up front alongside Chris Sutton. Before the kick-off former Villa manager Ron Saunders, who guided the team to the League Championship and the European Cup in the early 1980s, was given a standing ovation on his first return to the ground for more than 20 years. Villa pushed Gabriel Agbonlahor into attack alongside Chris Sutton and made a positive start in front of a near capacity 43,000 crowd. Paul Scholes brought down Villa midfielder Steven Davis 30 yards from the United goal but Gareth Barry's free-kick was easily cleared. Gavin McCann tried his luck from long range but failed to make proper contact with his shot which bobbled harmlessly through to Edwin Van Der Sar. United started to come into the game and Villa centre-back Gary Cahill blocked a left-footed drive from Park at the expense of a corner after he had been played into space by Patrice Evra. Cristiano Ronaldo, predictably booed every time he touched the ball, took advantage of Villa backing off to advance to the edge of their box and again it was Cahill who made the vital block. After 15 minutes the woodwork came to United's rescue when a free-kick from Barry was flicked on by Chris Sutton to Aaron Hughes, whose header clipped the outside of a post. United centre-back Nemanja Vidic became the first player to be yellow-carded a minute later for hauling down the lively Agbonlahor in full flight. It was encouraging start by Martin O'Neill's side who have not beaten United in a league meeting for more than 11 years. Park looked lively in the early stages but would have been disappointed with the accuracy of his finish from United's first clear-cut opening of the game. Gary Neville found himself with the time and space to the right of the Villa box to pick out the run of Park but he failed to make proper contact with his shot which curled wide of the far post. McCann was then relieved when he inadvertently sent a header from Ryan Giggs' corner just past his own post. United were beginning to get on top and Kiraly was finding himself the busier of the two goalkeepers - a contrast to last weekend when he had been a virtual spectator against Bolton. The on-loan Crystal Palace player clung onto a low angled drive from Evra and then held onto Ronaldo's header which flew straight at him from Giggs' corner. Darren Fletcher would have been disappointed not to have done better after racing onto a pass from Ronaldo and he could stab the ball past the far post. Giggs then led a three-on-three breakout from defence by United before finding Ronaldo, who turned past Hughes only to send his shot across the face of goal. Villa were now restricted to the occasional breakout from their own half and Stiliyan Petrov, Craig Gardner and Agbonlahor were both well off target with long range efforts. HT Aston Villa 0 Manchester United 0 Villa made an encouraging start to the second period. Davis' pass picked out the run of Petrov who would have been disappointed to slice a shot hopelessly wide. Van der Sar went racing out of his area to fly-hack clear from Agbonlahor as he chased down a cross-field pass from Davis. But United retaliated and, after Ronaldo had seen one effort blocked after good work by Park, the Portuguese winger broke the deadlock after 59 minutes. He picked the ball up in his own half and was allowed to advance almost unchallenged to the edge of the Villa box. His first shot was blocked by Cahill but the rebound fell straight into the path of Ronaldo who crashed an unstoppable drive inside Kiraly's near post. Ronaldo was now in irresistible form and more trickery set up a chance for Giggs whose goal-bound shot was blocked by Cahiil. But after 64 minutes a spectacular strike from Paul Scholes looked to have wrapped up the points for United. Giggs' corner was headed out by McCann but Scholes took aim from 25 yards out and volleyed a superb drive past Kiraly via the underside of the bar. As if to rub salt into Villa's wounds, Ferguson then brought on Rooney for Park and showed he has lost none of his passion for the game by delivering a rollicking to Giggs after a misplaced pass.
Last update : 23-12-2006 15:58
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