Bolton Wanderers 1 - 2 Manchester United
Saturday 1st April 2006
Reebok Stadium, Bolton
United's dreams of winnign the Premier League took a turn for the better this weekend, with Chelsea losing the plot against Birmingham, unable to score even once against a team in the lower-reaches of the relegation dog-fight. United's convincing victory gives them a chance - although no-one underestimates the task ahead of them.
If they are to win the league, United will first have to show a clean pair of heels to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday, and then take all three points from Chelsea on the Blues' home patch. I, for one, believe...
United's fluency on the ball stuttered for the first twenty minutes against Bolton, with Bolton making the most of United's mis-timed passes, etc. but it wasn't long before United had re-found their rhythm, and began gunning at goal once more.
Having found out the Chelsea result before kick-off, the United boys were giving it their all, and putting all their efforts into attacking - though with a forward line of Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney and Saha you'd be stupid not too!
Vidic was again installed alongside Ferdinand at the heart of the defence, and the canny Slovenian looks set to become a United great, with his admirers growing by the match!
It was his defensive partner, lazy Rio, who allowed Kevin Davies to poke the ball through his legs and side-foot the ball past van der Sar. Sloppy play.
United didn't become frustrated by going a goal down, however, and continued with their slick passing game. Four minutes later a chance had been carved. A throughball by Silvestre left Saha with plenty of work to do, but the Frenchmanmerely saw it as an opportunity to show off that he's been practicing shooting with the outside of his wrong-foot, ad slid the ball home from an acute angle!
Ronaldo was having plenty of joy against stand-in left-back Pedersen, and was sending crosses in, but United were unable to capitalise until the introduction of van Nistelrooy.
Ronaldo played a fine ball through to Saha, unmarked and in the clear, but Louis could only boot it at the 'keeper, despite his earlier clinical nature!
It was only when the ball fell at Ruud's feet, admittedly off a Saha cut-back, that United took the lead. The Dutchman didn't have a lot to do to get the ball in the back of the net, but he was there - right place, right time, right predator.
His 150th goal for United concluded the match with 11 minutes to play, and United comfortably took three points and some more self-belief from the match.
