EVERTON v MANCHESTER UNITED, 0-2 Sat 13 Aug 2005
Wayne Rooney capped his return to Goodison Park with a goal in a sparkling display as Manchester United launched their bid for the Barclays Premiership title with an assured win.
Wayne Rooney capped his return to Goodison Park with a goal in a sparkling display as Manchester United launched their bid for the Barclays Premiership title with an assured win.
United scored through Ruud van Nistelrooy in the first half, with Rooney taking advantage of a mistake by Joseph Yobo to put his side two ahead a few seconds after the break.
Rooney’s goal just about killed the game, with Everton failing to produce the fire and drive that was the hallmark of their fourth-place finish last term.
At the back end of last season, Everton’s ferocity and sheer desire saw them beat United in this corresponding fixture and all but claim their Champions League berth.
Everton went for an extra midfielder, Leon Osman in for Kevin Kilbane, in the side that lost the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie to Villarreal on Tuesday.
Simon Davies and Phil Neville made their league debuts for Everton, with Neville, the former United man, facing his old club just a week after a £3.5million move to Merseyside.
Manchester United were without Ryan Giggs (chest infection) and Cristiano Ronaldo (leg injury) in a side including South Korean Park Ji-Sung and Edwin van der Sar for their Barclays Premiership debuts for the Old Trafford outfit.
The movement of Rooney and Van Nistelrooy caused plenty of problems for Everton, with the Dutchman firing a 25-yard shot over and forcing Nigel Martyn into a low save from a fizzing drive.
After 18 minutes, James Beattie, who had been largely anonymous since the kick-off, went down on the edge of the centre circle with a damaged left foot that saw him immediately taken off and replaced by Marcus Bent.
Bent’s first involvement was a run from half-way before a pass to Osman, who fed Tony Hibbert on the right.
The instant cross swirled beyond the far post for Tim Cahill to fire in a point-blank header that Van der Sar superbly turned over.
Everton produced their customary all-action midfield resistance, conceding a lot of free-kicks.
Referee Graham Poll finally lost patience and booked Alessandro Pistone for a foul on Rooney after 32 minutes.
Everton almost took the lead when Yobo nodded a cross down for Bent, whose fierce drive was deflected onto the bar and over.
Next into the book was Paul Scholes for a foul on Neville, any sort of truce with his former team-mate clearly at an end.
Van Nistelrooy then went down in the box under pressure from Yobo, the Dutchman claiming he had been pulled back, but referee Poll ignored the appeals.
TV evidence showed the official was right, Van Nistelrooy having thrown himself down theatrically.
But two minutes from the break the Holland striker was on the scoresheet, with Rooney heavily involved.
The teenager found John O’Shea overlapping on the left and from the Irishman’s low cross, Van Nistelrooy was there to guide it into the roof of the net.
Any thought of Everton getting themselves back into the game quickly vanished after the break.
With just 29 seconds of the second half gone, Yobo’s error gifted the ball to Rooney, totally on his own in the home box, and the England man accepted the gift with ease.
Duncan Ferguson came on for Osman after 63 minutes, but by now it looked a little late for the cavalry.
Van der Sar was on hand to make a fine blocked save from a Cahill header following another well-executed Arteta free-kick.
Cahill, with a lunging effort, and then, when he almost connected with another right wing cross, showed at least the Australian had not accepted the inevitable.
Neville was booked for a foul on Park before Alan Smith came on with 10 minutes to go in place of Scholes, and it was the sight of former team-mate lashing a 25-yard shot just over the angle that greeted him, but United comfortably held on.
At the back end of last season, Everton’s ferocity and sheer desire saw them beat United in this corresponding fixture and all but claim their Champions League berth.
Everton went for an extra midfielder, Leon Osman in for Kevin Kilbane, in the side that lost the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie to Villarreal on Tuesday.
Simon Davies and Phil Neville made their league debuts for Everton, with Neville, the former United man, facing his old club just a week after a £3.5million move to Merseyside.
Manchester United were without Ryan Giggs (chest infection) and Cristiano Ronaldo (leg injury) in a side including South Korean Park Ji-Sung and Edwin van der Sar for their Barclays Premiership debuts for the Old Trafford outfit.
The movement of Rooney and Van Nistelrooy caused plenty of problems for Everton, with the Dutchman firing a 25-yard shot over and forcing Nigel Martyn into a low save from a fizzing drive.
After 18 minutes, James Beattie, who had been largely anonymous since the kick-off, went down on the edge of the centre circle with a damaged left foot that saw him immediately taken off and replaced by Marcus Bent.
Bent’s first involvement was a run from half-way before a pass to Osman, who fed Tony Hibbert on the right.
The instant cross swirled beyond the far post for Tim Cahill to fire in a point-blank header that Van der Sar superbly turned over.
Everton produced their customary all-action midfield resistance, conceding a lot of free-kicks.
Referee Graham Poll finally lost patience and booked Alessandro Pistone for a foul on Rooney after 32 minutes.
Everton almost took the lead when Yobo nodded a cross down for Bent, whose fierce drive was deflected onto the bar and over.
Next into the book was Paul Scholes for a foul on Neville, any sort of truce with his former team-mate clearly at an end.
Van Nistelrooy then went down in the box under pressure from Yobo, the Dutchman claiming he had been pulled back, but referee Poll ignored the appeals.
TV evidence showed the official was right, Van Nistelrooy having thrown himself down theatrically.
But two minutes from the break the Holland striker was on the scoresheet, with Rooney heavily involved.
The teenager found John O’Shea overlapping on the left and from the Irishman’s low cross, Van Nistelrooy was there to guide it into the roof of the net.
Any thought of Everton getting themselves back into the game quickly vanished after the break.
With just 29 seconds of the second half gone, Yobo’s error gifted the ball to Rooney, totally on his own in the home box, and the England man accepted the gift with ease.
Duncan Ferguson came on for Osman after 63 minutes, but by now it looked a little late for the cavalry.
Van der Sar was on hand to make a fine blocked save from a Cahill header following another well-executed Arteta free-kick.
Cahill, with a lunging effort, and then, when he almost connected with another right wing cross, showed at least the Australian had not accepted the inevitable.
Neville was booked for a foul on Park before Alan Smith came on with 10 minutes to go in place of Scholes, and it was the sight of former team-mate lashing a 25-yard shot just over the angle that greeted him, but United comfortably held on.
Source: premierleague.com
