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Scholes goal keeps up the good work
By Steve Curry at Old Trafford | |
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Man Utd (1) 2 West Ham (1) 1 THE impish opportunism of Paul Scholes which put England on the road to victory at Wembley on Wednesday, was directed yesterday for the benefit of his club. His second-half goal enabled Manchester United to move to the top of the Premiership, at least until Blackburn play today. It was, however, some measure of West Ham's improved form that they resisted for so long. The winning goal came in the 75th minute after the visitors had actually taken the lead, and become the first team to score against United this season. With United due to go on their European travels to Slovakia next week there is a worrying lack of the killer touch. Andy Cole was a peripheral figure in this match, looking short of confidence and match fitness. This has been a week when Harry Redknapp will have kept the book of statistics under lock and key. It was hardly a source of comfort to anyone of a claret and blue persuasion. They have been beaten on each of their last seven visits to Old Trafford and United were defending an unbeaten home run extending back to April 5. Yet this was a day when the East London side perhaps travelled north with greater optimism than they have for over a decade for their own start to the season has been encouraging. This has been their best start for 11 years and the partnership of Paul Kitson and John Hartson has given them a more effective cutting edge. Their incentive was to break the United sequence of five games without conceding a goal. That constituted United's best start defensively for a staggering 105 years with Peter Schmeichel, in a run stretching back to last season, going 11 hours and 32 minutes without being beaten before Hartson scored. United were still without Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the duty of scoring goals was left to Cole and Scholes. They were doubtless encouraged by the fact that West Ham have parted with their reliable defensive co-ordinator Marc Rieper, sold to Celtic for £1.4 million, placing greater responsibility on the young shoulders of Rio Ferdinand. West Ham opted for three central defenders to handle United's runs from midfield but it was John Moncur, tracking back, who managed to block the first, fiercely struck shot from David Beckham. West Ham had Eyal Berkovic operating just behind Hartson and Kitson and the combination soon had United's defence in trouble. Kitson was the first to get behind them, forcing Schmeichel into a diving save to his left from a carefully placed shot. The game was vibrant, the action pulsating. Roy Keane, from 30 yards out, drove Beckham's pass against the crossbar but West Ham immediately turned round to go ahead. A long kick from Ludek Miklosko should have presented no problem for Gary Pallister but the United defender's attempted header back to Schmeichel was short and Hartson intercepted, rounding the 'keeper and stroking West Ham into the lead. In truth, West Ham ought to have scored a second two minutes later, Berkovic releasing Kitson superbly but Schmeichel, one against one with the striker, made the save at the second attempt. Cole ought to have put United level after 18 minutes but completely missed his kick on the edge of the six-yard area when Keane's persistence had set up the simplest of chances for him. The marauding Keane took it upon himself to achieve parity. His shot from 25 yards took a wicked deflection off Moncur and looped over Miklosko's head and into the net. United's tendency towards over-elaboration was leading to some squandered possession and they were more effective when the ball was delivered early. Beckham, having had a powerful shot bounce off Miklosko's chest, then delivered a superbly weighted pass for Cole to head powerfully on target, Miklosko making a splendid reaction save. United were not finding their rhythm consistently. Moves were breaking down through sloppy passing, though balance was difficult on a pitch made greasy by heavy showers. Beckham, however, always looked threatening and when he set up a chance for Nicky Butt, the young midfielder, in his haste, miscued his shot wide. United were applying pressure around the edge of the West Ham penalty area without really troubling Miklosko but a Beckham special from a short Philip Neville corner thudded back off the crossbar. The waves of attacks continued relentlessly on West Ham's goal and it was perhaps inevitable the visitors would sooner or later give way though it took a pass of the highest quality from Beckham to provide the opening for Scholes to glide his header inside the upright. _________________________________________________________________ Man Utd (1) 2 West Ham (1) 1 Keane 21, Scholes 76; Hartson 14. Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Cole (McClair 89), Giggs (Poborsky 67), P. Neville, Keane, Scholes, Berg. Subs Not Used: Irwin, Van Der Gouw, Clegg. Booked: Berg. West Ham: Miklosko, Breacker, Potts, Ferdinand, Unsworth, Moncur (Lampard 80), Berkovic, Lomas, Hughes, Hartson, Kitson. Subs Not Used: Sealey, Dowie, Terrier, Rowland. Booked: Hughes, Hartson. Att: 55,068 Ref: D R Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill). _________________________________________________________________ United go top but Arsenal's Wright grabs the glory (Updates with more detail, quotes) By Adrian Warner LONDON, Sept 13 (Reuter) - Champions Manchester United dislodged Blackburn from the top of the English premier league on Saturday but the day belonged to Arsenal's controversial striker Ian Wright who hit a record-breaking hat-trick. A few days before they begin their European Cup campaign at Slovakia's FC Kosice, United produced a spirited but far from polished display to beat in-form West Ham 2-1 at home and take a three-point lead. Unbeaten United have 16 points from their opening six games but could lose the advantage on goal difference on Sunday if Blackburn, who started the day level on points with the Manchester club, beat lowly Leeds. Wright, who has a disciplinary record which reads like a manual of how not to behave on and around a football pitch, became the most prolific Arsenal forward of all time in the London club's 4-1 home victory over Bolton. After scoring twice in England's 4-0 victory over Moldova in a World Cup qualifier in midweek, Wright struck in the 20th and 25th minutes to equal then beat the all-time scoring record of 178 goals set by Cliff Bastin in the 1930s. He then improved the total to 180 with a third in the 81st minute. Arsenal had trailed to a 13th minute goal from Bolton midfielder Alan Thompson. Midfielder Ray Parlour scored the north London club's other goal in the 44th minute. Manchester United conceded their first goal of the season to John Hartson in the 14th minute and were often put under pressure by the London club. But last year's European Cup semifinalists managed to bounce back with a deflected strike from Roy Keane in the 21st minute and a header from England international Paul Scholes in the 76th. Chelsea, who take on Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia in the first round of the European Cup Winners' Cup next week, moved to third, one point behind Blackburn after a 3-0 victory at Crystal Palace. Arsenal's victory took them up one place to fourth, level on points with Chelsea. Their resounding win provided perfect preparation for a difficult UEFA Cup first round clash in Greece against PAOK Salonika on Tuesday. Wimbledon provided the biggest upset of the afternoon with a 3-1 victory at Newcastle, England's second European Cup campaigners. The London club went ahead as early as the second minute after a header from debutant Carl Cort. Goals from Chris Perry and Efan Ekoku in the 59th and 76th minutes respectively sealed the victory. Newcastle, who had won their opening two games at home, slipped down to 11th and must now lift themselves quickly before they take on mighty Barcelona at home in their opening Champions' League clash next week. Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear described the performance as one of the best since he has been in charge of the club. "The front two were superb. Carl Cort had one of the best debuts I've ever seen," he said. Leicester manager Martin O'Neill was also smiling after his team prepared for their tough UEFA Cup clash at Atletico Madrid with a 3-0 home win over Tottenham. "Atletico Madrid may not be frightened but I thought we were magnificent," he said. "From start to finish we were excellent and we can go to Spain with plenty of confidence." ____________________________________________________________ Dailymail Saturday, September 13 1997 MANCHESTER UNITED 2-1 WEST HAM UNITED Keane (21) Hartson (14) Scholes (76) United embarked on their main mission of European achievement with a daunting lesson for the Premiership they have dominated in four of the last five seasons. A lesson was that even a shock breach of their previously unblemished defensive rearguard - caused by a West Ham display of character and quality - in the end counted for little. West Ham, revelling in their most accomplished start to a season in 11 years, registered the first goal conceded by the champions in 693 minutes and proceeded to perform with considerable aplomb. Perhaps there might have been a different tale to relate if Paul Kitson had succeeded in adding to the initial damage in the very next attack which followed John Hartson's 14th-minute goal. But then United can produce previous overwhelming evidence that such dramatic interventions by Peter Schmeichel in one-against-one situations merely represent another day at the office for the giant Denmark goalkeeper. Most certainly United had been ruffled by the rare aberration from the otherwise imperious Gary Pallister, whose attempted header back to his goalkeeper fell horribly short to allow Hartson to score with ease. Seconds before West Ham upset the applecart, United's indomitable Roy Keane had struck the full face of the crossbar with a magnificent 25-yard effort - and it was United's new captain who was to provide a constant source of inspiration. He began the search for a leveller with an exquisite pull-back from the bye-line which was completely missed by Andy Cole from six yards out. And so, it seemed, he decided he would have to do the job himself. With the considerable assistance of a deflection off Paul Moncur which completely wrong-footed goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko, Keane obliged through another effort from 25 yards in the 21st minute. Having obtained the required comfort from that equaliser, United stepped into their stride of rapid one-touch football conducted with bewildering interchanging of positions. David Beckham was the main orchestrator. He curled a shot against the crossbar on the hour and caused mayhem again with a beautifully-placed cross from the right that evaded the outstretched foot of Ryan Giggs when he seemed certain to score. But Beckham was not finished yet. He crossed for his fellow young England star Paul Scholes to head an emphatic winnner in the 76th minute. There were a couple of scares for United before the end but Kitson again failed to finish with precision and Schmeichel recovered in the nick of time to prevent acute embarrassment after fumbling a seemingly harmless effort from David Unsworth. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday Times Scholes delivers United decider Joe Lovejoy at Old Trafford Manchester United 2 West Ham United 1 ALEX FERGUSON thought about resting him, but for the second time in four days Paul Scholes leapt to the rescue of a team in urgent need of inspiration. Just as he had done to settle England's nerves against Moldova at Wembley, the vertically-challenged striker with the big future used his head to decisive effect, maintaining United's unbeaten start to the season and taking the champions to the top of the League, for 24 hours at least. West Ham have begun the campaign brightly and, defending assiduously and breaking out with pace and purpose, they fully deserved their success when, in giving them the lead, John Hartson became the first player to get the better of Peter Schmeichel since the penultimate game last May. Indeed, Harry Redknapp and his team headed for home rueing the points that got away when Paul Kitson spurned two good, late chances. United had the lion's share of possession and created most of the scoring opportunities, but talk of the perennial quest for European glory, which resumes in Slovakia on Wednesday, calls to mind the shortcomings in front of goal which cost them dear in the Champions League semi-final against Borussia Dortmund last season. That same weakness was apparent again here, with Andy Cole at his blunderbuss worst, and missing the convalescent Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, goals will be at a premium in Kosice. Without Marc Rieper, sold to Celtic in midweek, West Ham sought defensive security in the wing-back system, with Steve Potts, Rio Ferdinand and David Unsworth in line at the back, flanked by Tim Breacker and Michael Hughes. Nobody was more anxious to prove his worth than Ferdinand, after his self-inflicted disappointment with England in midweek and he bounced back with a confident, asssured performance. United began brightly. The first goal attempt came from David Beckham and had Ludek Miklosko grateful for John Moncur's involuntary block. But Eyal Berkovic was soon threatening with some penetrative incursions through the middle. Then Kitson, supplied by Hartson, extended Schmeichel low to his left, with a curling 20-yarder. United were up and running when Roy Keane released Phil Neville with a lovely cross-field pass, right to left, and the full-back's telling centre brought a rasping effort from Scholes which arrowed straight into Miklosko's midriff. Gary Pallister, like Ferdinand, was keen to prove a point or two after his omission by Glenn Hoddle in midweek, and began well, with a vital, rescuing challenge to keep out Kitson. Keane then shivered Miklosko's crossbar from 30 yards. It was riveting stuff, with play switching from one penalty area to the other at neck-aching rapidity. Goals were inevitable, and the first came before the game was a quarter-of-an-hour old. Miklosko's long clearance should have been cut out by Pallister, but the big defender's attempt to back-head it to Schmeichel fell short, and Hartson nipped in to shoot across the familiarly apoplectic 'keeper, right to left. West Ham could have been two goals to the good within a minute but, after Berkovic had embarrassed Pallister again by sliding the ball past him, Kitson's shot was carelessly close to Schmeichel. Reprieved, United battled back. Keane cut the ball in from the byeline on the right but Cole, six yards out, kicked fresh air. It was a terrible miss. After Scholes had demanded a flying save, Keane restored equality with a 25-yarder which Miklosko had covered until it deflected off Moncur. If the equaliser was lucky, it was no more than United deserved. Finding themselves behind for the first time this season, they fought tigerishly as Beckham and Cole brought the best out of Miklosko with a resounding shot and close-range header respectively. As errors crept in, Beckham lifted the standard when he fastened on to Phil Neville's corner and curled a shot against the bar. West Ham kept their heads, and their shape, and held out until less than a quarter-of-an-hour from the end. The goal that beat them was Beckham's creation, his short cross from the right practically sitting up and begging for the ramrod header with which Scholes beat Miklosko from 10 yards. Ferguson said he had thought about playing Karel Poborsky instead of Scholes, in the belief that the Wembley pitch, and the rigours of the young man's all-action style, might have taken its toll. He was glad he thought again. Redknapp was frustration personified. Kitson had wasted two match-winning opportunities late on, failing to make contact with an inviting Unsworth cross and shooting tamely wide from Hartson's prompting pass. Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Berg, Pallister, P Neville, Beckham, Butt, Keane, Giggs (Poborksy 68min), Scholes, Cole (McClair 90min). Goalscorers: Keane 21, Scholes 76. West Ham United:Miklosko, Breacker, Potts, Ferdinand, Unsworth, Moncur (Lampard 81min), Berkovic, Lomas, Hughes, Hartson, Kitson. Goalscorers: Hartson 14 Booked: Hughes (42min), Berg (47min). Weather: damp. Ground: good. Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill). |
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