Article by Mark Graham, Editor, Record Keeper & Official Reporter @ MUFCINFO.COM.

fa premiership, Matchday 24
Boleyn Ground, London, 16.00pm GMT, Sunday 8th February 2009.
Attendance: 34,958

Manchester United's mammoth run without conceding continued with the thirteenth consecutive shut out helping to defeat West Ham United and climbing back to the summit of the Premiership.  With the bindippers winning on Saturday, claiming 1st place in the league & twice coming from behind to win the game in the dying minutes, the huge effort was all for nothing as Captain Giggs sailed United through tough choppy waters with a superb display & winner.

In a very tight game with nothing separating either teams for long periods, West Ham would claim the 1st chance when a corner fell kindly to Lucas Neill who shot straight at EVDS, Carlton Cole who after a clever through ball from Collinson then ran into the United penalty area, but the former Chelsea striker decided for the delicate chip which EVDS saved easily when the power option could have saw his side take the lead.

Continuing the pressure on the visitors defence, Collinson then tried some slaloming as he weaved & turned in United's penalty area, but his eventual pass fell short of its target as United cleared.

With Scott Parker a reassuring wall in front of his defence the Champions were struggling to break the resistance with scuffed shooting & slicing from Ryan Giggs and only a wide Cristiano Ronaldo header then deflected Scholes shot gave West Ham's keeper Robert Green mild trouble.

With little in the way of chances & goalmouth action & the impressive Upson & Vidic marshalling their respective defenses' extremely well, the half finished 0-0.

The second half began with no changes from either side & tactics still the same & with either side playing decent passing football without much conviction in the final third it wasn't until the old codgers of United's midfield combined to final open the scoring.

Almost on the hour a Ryan Giggs corner was only half cleared & as Scholes gathered he sprayed a beautiful pass across to Giggs on the left wing, after making a mockery of Carlton Cole's challenge, Giggs dashed into the box before selling another fake to West Ham's defence before unleashing with his usually untrusted right foot a belting low shot which thank you very much found the back of the net for a vital goal come the end of the season.

A possible chance to increase the Reds lead came later when Ronaldo might have had a penalty after being clipped & tripped by Lucas Neill, referee Phil Dowd decided against awarding the penalty and waived play on.

Comfortably United ran out the clock and at the same time again broke records as EVDS & United entered the history books after breaking Aberdeen goalkeeper Bobby Clark's record in the 34th minute.

The Dutch Keeper & his defence now stand at 1,212 minutes since conceding a goal, therefore beating 1,155 minutes set in the 1970-71 campaign by the former Aberdeen keeper.



NOOKIE BEAR, TA-DAH & the HALF TIME RIP VAN WINKLE
A massive thanks to Steve Power & Grant Gledhill for the driving to London.

Toddy, Craig Adams, Grant Thompson, Patty for waking me up before the second half started.





Simon Curwen meeting us at the Millers Well Pub

Peter Calvin for the ticket.


 

And finally...........................................

TA DAH!!!!

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