fa premiership, Matchday 32
Old Trafford, Manchester, 20.00pm GMT, Wednesday 22nd April 2009.
Attendance: 74,895

Manchester United opened up a three point gap on Liverpool after overcoming a spirited Portsmouth side, who were in actual fact balanced on a knifes edge throughout the match caught between a 2-0 score line & a 7-0 score line.

SAF rested Rio with Jonny Evans taking his place & JSP was rested altogether as the United manager freshened his side up.

Captain Gary Neville was also given a start as was Fletcher, Scholes & Anderson

United played a memorable 1st half of football with all signs of a wobble looking a distant memory as United unleashed some excellent play combining Giggs, Scholes into some excellent attacking football.

With a new resurgence & presence in United's midfield from Anderson, United looked comfortable & dangerous and after more excellent work from Darren Fletcher as the Scot hounded Portsmouth to regain possession, United soon found themselves ahead when Fletcher exchanged with Ronaldo & Scholes before Anderson gained possession on the centre spot, spotting the run of Ryan Giggs the Brazilian pass to the onrushing Giggs was nothing short of magnificent as the Welsh winger controlled with his chest before slipping in a pass to Wayne Rooney who fired United ahead.

United then lost Gary Neville to injury as the United captain received treatment on the sidelines after an off camera tackle, a tackle later that SAF had criticized.

Continuing his good form Anderson slotted a pass for Rooney which the England striker failed to get any power behind & as David James gathered, England's no1 then alarmingly gave the ball straight to Anderson on the edge of United's box, however the goal shy Brazilian side footed his shot agonizingly close, saving David James blushes.

Nemanja Vidic was yellow carded soon after when he chopped down Nugent with a poor high tackle, the Serbian thinking himself lucky as referee Peter Walton only brandished a yellow instead of potential Red.

With only one major criticism of the Reds on the night, United's finishing was poor as shortly after Rooney failed to finish off a Giggs pass.

Substitute O'Shea on for the injured Gary Neville saw his flicked on corner cleared off the line by Belhadj, before Ryan Giggs missed another excellent chance when Rooney slipped a pass through to the Welshman with the shot being saved by James.

The one way traffic continued when a flurry of Rooney work culminated with a tame shot save by James, a save which left United thinking how the match was not already dead and buried.

The Welshman then missed another chance when Ronaldo breaking from the right crossed into the box only for Giggs' touch on the ball to float for a goal kick as United were being punished for not finishing their opponent off after so many good chances.

Shortly before half time Rooney found the back of the net again but the effort was ruled offside after a defence splitting pass form Giggs & Darren Fletcher shot wide after being set up by a back heel from Ronaldo & a pass from Rooney.


With EVDS a virtual spectator for the entire 1st half the Big Dutch Stickman was finally called into action when Glen Johnson crossed for Peter Crouch.

With the  game 1-0 and my no means won Portsmouth like the annoying wasp still buzzed with enthusiasm as Crouch volleyed & headed efforts EVDS's way.

Order was soon restored when Rooney shot straight at James in a decent Goalscoring position after a long ball from EVDS.

With Portsmouth unable to create much in the line of a Goalscoring chance, but the game still hanging in the balance at 1-0, SAF opted to use his last substitution in Carrick for Anderson thus leaving & giving Berbatov & Tevez the rest of the night off & a well earned break for both United strikers.

Within 10 minutes of his final substitution SAF was laughing all the way to the Premiership points bank as equally as good to Anderson's pass for the 1st goal, the Ginger Ninja threaded a ball to a on-rushing Michael Carrick who finished past James with style to finally bag all three vital important points.

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