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Sunday 4 October 1997
Issue 864


Sheringham puts Palace in their place
By Derick Allsop


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   Man Utd (2) 2 Crystal Palace (0) 0
   
   THEY turned it into a casual stroll and more competent opposition
   would probably have mugged them, but Manchester United were content to
   end a momentous week by banking three Premiership points.
   
   It might have been a case of 'after the Lord Mayor's Show' as so often
   in the past United have faltered on their return to domestic affairs
   from European service, but not this time. They revelled in the
   after-glow of their exhilarating victory against Juventus here three
   days earlier.
   
   They radiated self-belief and overwhelmed the hapless Palace with the
   range and intensity of their football. Teddy Sheringham, having broken
   critical ground with his splendid contribution to the cause in the
   Champions' League, again paved the way for United with the opening
   goal. Herman Hreidarsson's own goal confirmed the scale of Palace's
   task.
   
   Ryan Giggs and David Beckham ought to have turned the match into a
   rout by half-time and the occasional raid from Atillio Lombardo
   sustained Palace's interest in proceedings.
   
   By way of preparation for this match, the midweek fortunes of the two
   sides could scarcely have contrasted more starkly.
   
   While United were eclipsing Juventus and generating a euphoria unique
   to the European Cup, Palace were being eliminated from the Coca-Cola
   Cup by Hull City, a side currently struggling to retain a foothold in
   the lower reaches of the Football League.
   
   The restoration of Lombardo to the team and an away record of
   championship standard - just one defeat from five - might have helped
   convince Palace this trip was not a lost cause. And yet . . .
   
   They had scored on only one of their previous six trips to Old
   Trafford and their hosts were oozing confidence. Giggs' dazzling
   performance sent shudders of apprehension across the Continent but
   perhaps even more significant for United was the form of Sheringham.
   
   The Cantona mantel had proved an obvious burden for the England player
   but on Wednesday he shed it to play with an authority and commitment
   that at last earned the approval of the natives.
   
   Whether United can compensate for the absence of Roy Keane through the
   rigours and frenzy of an entire season remains to be seen. The main
   responsibility for scoring goals yesterday was shared with Sheringham
   by Giggs, switched from the wing he exploited so ruthlessly against
   the Italians.
   
   Both were involved in the familiar, early intricacies of United's
   play, without seriously threatening Palace's goal. A more direct break
   by George Ndah was more menacing and Gary Pallister's mis-hit
   clearance gave Lombardo an opportunity he scorned with a shot high and
   wide of the target.
   
   Ronny Johnsen offered his alternative to United's patient probing,
   flexing his shooting muscles from 30 yards. Kevin Miller, in the
   Palace goal, was not unduly disturbed.
   
   However, after 17 minutes Beckham's corner, flighted from the left,
   fell for Sheringham, who composed himself and volleyed into the roof
   of the net.
   
   Giggs should have dispatched a second six minutes later. Released by
   Paul Scholes, the Welsh international ran clear to confront Miller.
   Reluctant to take the ball on his weaker right side, Giggs elected to
   curl his shot round Miller with his left foot but pushed it wide.
   
   Another six minutes on United were two up anyway. Beckham, having
   exchanged headers with Sheringham, attempted to pick out his England
   colleague with a raking cross. It dropped short but as Hreidarsson
   stretched to intercept, he turned the ball into his goal.
   
   Beckham drilled a shot wide as United sensed easy pickings. They were
   jolted, however, by a rare Palace response and Peter Schmeichel
   anxiously beat out a volley from Lombardo.
   
   Lombardo should have beaten the United goalkeeper early in the second
   half but dwelt too long on the ball and had his path blocked.
   
   United barely shifted out of third gear and it was midway through the
   half before Scholes examined Miller.
   _________________________________________________________________
   
   Man Utd (2) 2 Crystal Palace (0) 0
   Hreidarsson 30 og, Sheringham 17.

   Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Sheringham,
   Giggs, P. Neville (Irwin 85), Scholes, Berg, Johnsen (Poborsky 72).
   Subs Not Used: May, McClair, Van Der Gouw.

   Crystal Palace: Miller, Edworthy, Gordon, Roberts, Linighan (Freedman
   72), Lombardo (Zohar 85), Warhurst, Rodger, Ndah, Hreidarsson,
   Fullarton. Subs Not Used: Shipperley, Muscat, Ormshaw.

   Att: 55,143
   Ref: S J Lodge (Barnsley).
   _________________________________________________________________

Sunday Times 

Sheringham storms the Palace
Ian Hawkey at Old Trafford

Manchester United 2 Crystal Palace 0

BACK TO BUSINESS as usual for Manchester United, a perfunctory victory at the
end of a profitable and proud week. Even Europe comes to the Theatre of Dreams
more wary now; what chance Crystal Palace, with their one Italian and 10
artisans? Their Icelander put himself on the scoresheet, only it was in the
wrong team's ledger. Palace never surrendered, indeed they got better. But the
outcome was known early on.

Teddy Sheringham struck the opening goal and Hermann Hreidarsson's luckless
slide past his own goalkeeper made it two. Thereafter, United eased up,
accommodating exhaustion, economising their efforts.

"You're bound to get a falling-off at some stage after a night like we had on
Wednesday," said Alex Ferguson, the United manager. "Palace might have had a
couple in the second half, but I think if they'd got one we'd have put our foot
back on the pedal."

Stamped as champions in champion territory against Juventus, this was the
backstage work, snuffing out the ambitions of their visitors before they had
formed. Wham, bam, thank you; three points in the Premier League after a run
that had yielded only two from the previous nine available.

The respective preparations of the contestants could barely make for a sharper
contrast. For United, the brave and sporadically brilliant trumping of
Juventus; for Palace an ignominious defeat against Hull City in the League Cup.
Steve Coppell's team, granted, had been at less than full throttle then,
Attilio Lombardo having made sudden Lazarus recoveries from injury after each
of the Hull games. All the same, such faux pas sit uncomfortably with the
self-esteem, whatever the company.

Half an hour had passed, two goals registered in the debit column before Peter
Schmeichel raised a hand in anger, and that a comfortable catch to collect Paul
Warhurst's tepid volley from 15 yards. Palace's best opportunities arrived
after half-time when Lombardo timed a deceptive run to work his way behind the
United defence and leave only Schmeichel to beat. George Ndah, weaving his way
through the inside-left position, then created a similar chance for himself.
Both found themselves crowded out.

Lombardo, once of Juventus himself, had started wide on the right, where United
retained Phil Neville as his minder, following an impressive 70 minutes in
midweek. Up front, Ryan Giggs ostensibly partnered Sheringham, Paul Scholes
floating behind. Ronny Johnsen kept the anchor role, and when, on 10 minutes,
he hesitated over a challenge with Ndah ­ and Ndah skipped deftly clear ­ Roy
Keane was briefly missed.

But Ndah rather squandered the possession, and Johnsen's redemption arrived
quickly and easily, a forceful shot whipping past Kevin Miller's right-hand
post.

United had nevertheless begun some way short of Wednesday's best rhythms. A
neat one-two between Sheringham and Giggs phutted out with Giggs's over-hit
cross. Beckham, Scholes and Beckham again likewise overclubbed searching passes
with others well-placed.

But as soon as they clicked, United went ahead. Beckham, offered options wide
and long, played the unlikely ball to Nicky Butt just outside the Palace
penalty area and Butt's muscular turn released Phillip Neville to earn a
corner. Beckham swung it in, all and sundry missed it until, on the bounce,
Sheringham arrowed a volley directly into the roof of Miller's net.

Moments later, momentum restored, Giggs ought to have added. Put through by
Scholes, with Palace caught square, Giggs elected to curve the ball around the
advancing Miller rather than take him on. The effort finished just the wrong
side of the upright.

Still, plenty more where that came from as Palace's rearguard looked
increasingly stretched. Scholes miscued an overhead kick from a Giggs centre
and, from the same direction, Beckham launched another. Hreidarsson's
oustretched leg met it, rolling the ball, gently, unerringly and painfully over
his own goal line. He will remember his first trip to the Theatre of Dreams.

Palace by now were chasing shadows, willing the coming of the half-time
whistle. Within two minutes of United's second goal, Sheringham found himself
awarded such freedom of the left-wing that he might have sat down, unfolded a
road map and decided at leisure where to route his next cross. He opted for
Beckham, to feet, and a denouement that had Beckham's first-time connection
scream inches off target.

Miller saved well from Scholes in the second half and Sheringham powered an
attempt into the side netting. Palace were allowed a greater share of the match
by then, and the one-on-ones between Lombardo, Ndah and Schmeichel spurred them
on. "I tried to dummy him, but it didn't quite come off," said the Italian.

Late on, he sneaked through anew to prompt another Schmeichel advance, and
Itzik Zohar had a long-range free kick tipped away.

Schmeichel has been made United captain in place of Keane. United do not have
the best defensive record in their division for nothing.

Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Pallister, Berg, P Neville (Irwin
85min), Johnsen (Poborsky 70min), Butt, Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, Sheringham.
Goalscorers: Sheringham 17, Hreidarsson og 30.

Crystal Palace: Miller, Edworthy, Hreidarsson, Linighan (Freedman 70min),
Gordon, Roberts, Rodger, Warhurst, Fullarton, Lombardo (Zohar 82min), Ndah.

Weather: autumnal. Ground: good.
Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley).
   _________________________________________________________________

     Bergkamp puts Arsenal on the way to another win
     
     (Updating with details, descriptive)
     By Mike Collett

     LONDON, Oct 4 (Reuter) - Dennis Bergkamp maintained his stunning
     start to the season with two more goals as league leaders Arsenal
     overwhelmed strugglers Barnsley 5-0 at Highbury on Saturday.

     The 28-year-old Dutchman took his tally for the season to 11 with
     Arsenal's first two goals in their first league match against
     Barnsley since they met in the old second division in April 1915.

     Ray Parlour, David Platt and Ian Wright also found the net as
     Arsenal consolidated their place at the top of the table with 22
     points from their opening 10 matches which have produced six wins
     and four draws.

     Barnsley, whose first-ever season in the top flight began brightly
     with two wins in their opening four games, slumped to the bottom of
     the table after losing for the sixth successive match.

     They had several chances to score but their defending against the
     most potent attack in the premier league was woeful and even at
     this early stage of the season, it seems unlikely they will avoid
     an instant return to the first division.

     Arsenal remained a point clear of champions Manchester United, who
     had an easier win that the 2-0 scoreline suggests against Crystal
     Palace at Old Trafford.

     United had gone three matches without a league win but were never
     in trouble against Palace, managed by 1970s United favourite Steve
     Coppell.

     They went ahead after only 17 minutes with Teddy Sheringham, who
     scored the opener against Juventus in the Champions' League on
     Wednesday, finding the net again with a powerful half-volley from a
     David Beckham corner which was not cleared properly.

     United doubled their lead 13 minutes later when a cross from Ryan
     Giggs was diverted into his own net by Icelandic international
     Hermann Hreidarsson. Palace had their chances in the second half
     but never seriously threatened the home side, who were on cruise
     control for much of the rest of the match.

     United manager Alex Ferguson said afterwards: "We did well to get
     into the game so quickly and getting the first goal early was very
     important, but it was perhaps too comfortable for us in the first
     half.

     "But we eased off in the second half -- and perhaps that is
     understandable -- but Palace could have scored two or three goals.
     But I felt that if Palace had scored, we still had it in us to go
     up a gear or two again."

     Blackburn moved back up to third place with a 1-0 win at Wimbledon,
     thanks to a sixth-minute winner from Chris Sutton.

     Sutton needed less than six minutes to demonstrate that his hot
     streak was still bubbling, despite two goalless games.

     Sutton collected a pass from Jeff Kenna, turned past Chris Perry's
     challenge and slid the ball past Wimbledon keeper Neil Sullivan for
     his 10th goal of the season.

     Newcastle also won 1-0 and moved up from 10th to sixth with three
     games in hand on the leading trio, but unlike Blackburn's early
     winner, their goal against Tottenham came with almost the last kick
     of the game.

     Warren Barton was the first to react to the ball when Ian Walker
     failed to hold a David Batty half-volley, and gave Walker no second
     chance with his close-range angled shot.

     Newcastle, who beat Tottenham 7-1 last season were without any of
     the men who scored their goals then -- Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand,
     Robert Lee and Philippe Albert.

     Ferdinand has since moved to Tottenham along with ex-Newcastle
     players David Ginola and Ruel Fox, who looked as though they were
     going to celebrate at least a point on their return before Barton's
     late strike.

     Aston Villa maintained their recent improvement with a 1-0 win at
     Bolton, where Savo Milosevic's 12th-minute goal -- his first league
     goal of the season -- was enough to give his side victory.

     Milosevic also scored Villa's winner in their 1-0 UEFA Cup victory
     over Bordeaux on Tuesday but instead of his goal making the local
     headlines, the talking point was the last-minute double sending-off
     of Bolton's Andy Todd and Villa's Stan Collymore.

     Todd, the son of Bolton manager Colin, and the Villa striker,
     traded punches after an off-the-ball incident just inside the Villa
     half and the referee had no hesitation in showing them both the red
     card.

     While Barnsley slid to the bottom of the table, it was a better day
     for Southampton, who moved up to 19th after beating West Ham 3-0.

                           © Reuters Limited 1997
   _________________________________________________________________

Man United v Crystal Palace 04/10/97 3.00
                                      
Man United              (2) 2 Crystal Palace          (0) 0 FT
Sheringham 17
Hreidarsson 30 (og)

Manchester United's England contingent helped to effortlessly overpower
Crystal Palace to give Glenn Hoddle the perfect World Cup boost.
                                      
With the make-or-break qualifier against Italy just a week away, Hoddle
must have been praying that David Beckham, Teddy Sheringham, Nicky Butt,
Gary Pallister, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers Gary and Phil did
not succumb to the injury crisis that has bighted Old Trafford this term.
                                      
But he need not have worried. Alex Ferguson's champions eased up through
the gears in the first half to shatter Palace's hopes of stretching
United's winless run in the Premiership to four matches.
                                      
And after Teddy Sheringham - with his second strike in successive matches
- and a Herman Hreidarsson own goal had made the points secure, United
then cruised home after the break despite a spirited riposte by Steve
Coppell's visitors.
                                      
Ferguson made just one change to the team that finished Wednesday's 
classic Champions' League victory over Juventus, Butt coming back in after
recovering from concussion and Denis Irwin dropping down to the bench.
                                      
And the Reds immediately began to give Palace a torrid first-half 
examination that should have brought more than two goals.
                                      
Ryan Giggs, Beckham and Sheringham in particular looked in the mood to 
give Palace boss Coppell an afternoon of pure torment on his return to the
club he graced as a player. 
                                      
Hreidarsson escaped when Giggs' first-minute cross seemed to strike him on
the arm, referee Stephen Lodge waving away the penalty appeals.
                                      
But that was the cue for United to probe, press and pen Palace back with
the kind of patient but penetrating football that destroyed Juventus three
days earlier.
                                      
Ronny Johnsen sent in a raking long-range drive that flew wide before 
United's dominance told after 17 minutes.
                                      
Andy Linighan did well to head Phil Neville's dangerous cross over his own
crossbar but, from Beckham's corner, the ball fell perfectly for Sheringam
at the far post and his thunderous half-volley flashed high past Kevin
Miller.
                                      
It was Sheringham's third goal of the campaign and was great news for 
England coach Hoddle.
                                      
Indeed, another two of his England contingent linked up again moments 
later, but Scholes' cross was just too strong for the incoming Phil
Neville.

The Reds should certainly have doubled their lead in the 24th minute with
a counter-attack that ripped Palace wide open, Pallister's headed 
clearance, Beckham's flamboyant flick and Scholes' perfectly weighted pass
sending Giggs racing clear only for the Welsh winger to curl his shot 
wide.
                                      
Palace looked lambs to the slaughter and the only surprise was that it 
took another 12 minutes for United to score again.
                                      
Giggs, once again brilliant in a central striking role, drifted out to the
right and his inswinging cross forced Icelandic international Hreidarsson
to slide the ball into his own net with Sheringham hovering with intent
just behind.
                                      
Beckham powered a low 18-yard drive a fraction wide after linking up with
Sheringham and, although Lombardo replied by forcing Schmeichel into a
fine block, Palace were happy to hear the half-time whistle.
                                      
The Londoners certainly showed greater ambition on the restart - only for
Schmeichel to keep them at bay.
                                      
First Lombardo found himself in the shadow of the great Dane after being
put clear by Paul Warhurst and Schmeichel saved at his feet.
                                      
And then George Ndah was one-on-one with the United keeper, only for 
Schmeichel to once again come out to block out the danger.
                                      
United were clearly going back down through the gears, but they almost put
Palace in their place with a third goal when Giggs teed up Scholes to
drill in a low shot that Miller gathered at the second attempt.
                                      
Schmeichel, though, was once again forced to win another war of nerves 
with Lombardo, producing another smart block, before the Italian was 
substituted 11 minutes from time smarting from the knowledge that this 
week he was easily second best.
                                      
Man United: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Sheringham,
Giggs, P. Neville (Irwin, 85), Scholes, Berg, Johnsen (Poborsky, 72).
Subs not used: May, McClair, Van Der Gouw.
                                      
Crystal Palace: Miller, Edworthy, Gordon, Roberts, Linighan (Freedman, 
72), Lombardo (Zohar, 85), Warhurst, Rodger, Ndah, Hreidarsson, Fullarton.
Subs not used: Shipperley, Muscat, Ormshaw.
                                      
Attendance: 55,143.
Referee: S J Lodge (Barnsley).


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