Saha And Ruud Hand United A Crucial Win

juggernautyUID: 2143098

Saha And Ruud Hand United A Crucial Win




Louis Saha celebrates United's first goal - the Frenchman scored one and made the other.
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FA Barclays Premiership
Reebok Stadium, 1 April 2006

Bolton Wanderers 1
Davies
Manchester United 2
Saha, Van Nistelrooy

Chelsea’s lead at the top of the Barclays Premiership was reduced to seven points after United beat close neighbours and ancient rivals Bolton Wanderers 2-1 at Reebok Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Jose Mourinho’s side having earlier dropped two more points in a goalless draw with Birmingham City at St Andrew’s to give United just a glimmer of hope as they prepared to face Bolton.

And, the Reds were forced to come from behind after Kevin Davies had given Wanderers the lead in the 26th minute. Louis Saha netted the equaliser seven minutes later and the provided the pass for Ruud van Nistelrooy to claim the winner eleven minutes from time.

Sir Alex Ferguson made four changes to the side, which defeated West Ham United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening.

Skipper Gary Neville was back along with Louis Saha, Ryan Giggs and Mikael Silvestre. The players to make way, Patrice Evra, Ruud van Nistelrooy,
Ji-sung Park and Gerard Pique, were all found a place on United’s substitutes’ bench.

Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce named what looked pretty well a full strength team for a match which is always one of the highlights of the season at the Reebok Stadium.

Stelios Giannakopoulos, who from this point on will referred to simply as Stelios, started the game on what had been an extraordinary day weather-wise in Greater Manchester. All morning and in the minutes up to kick-off the elements had been changing almost continually. There was bright sunshine as the game got under way, but only minutes earlier there had been a heavy wintry shower of sleet and snow.

Wanderers started off the livelier of the two sides and looked dangerous in front of goal. Their supporters were encouraged by the bright opening against the team from across the county which they love to beat.

Wayne Rooney failed to make the most of an early chance for United and then, in the 15th minute, both he and Giggs were thwarted by a double save from Jaaskelainen. Neville sent the ball over from the left to Giggs, who was in a central position. His shot was pushed away by the Bolton keeper, but only as far as the Rooney. United’s star man looked certain to guide the ball into the net, but Jaaskelainen made another important block and it was Tal Ben Haim who finally hoofed the ball away to safety.

Louis Saha was given a good chance to add to his recent goal tally in the 21st minute when Cristiano Ronaldo’s corner from the left found him plunb in front of goal. The Frenchman hesitated for a brief moment and that was enough for the Bolton defence to snuff out the danger.

Five minutes later and the Reebok was alive with noise as the home fans celebrated the game’s first goal. Kevin Nolan played a skipper’s role with a neat through ball to Kevin Davies. The Bolton striker was in no mood to be stopped and after pushing the ball past Rio Ferdinand he finished the job superbly with a cool finish wide of van der Sar’s outstretched arms.

Bolton’s supporters were in dreamland after seeing Davies give them the lead, but it was a mere seven minutes before the United fans had their chance to acclaim a goal.

United attacked down the left with full-back Mikael Silvestre adding his wait to his team’s quest for an equaliser. The French international did really well to thread through a terrific ball to the in-form Saha. The striker barely broke step before employing the outside of his left foot to curl a shot past Jaaskelainen and into the net.

One-all at the break and just about a fair reflection of a fine match, in which neither side could genuinely claim dominance. Bolton and United invariably contest tense encounters and this was another out of the top drawer.

The second half began where the first spell had ended with both teams putting the emphasis firmly on attack. Jay Jay Okocha was a shining light in Bolton’s midfield with Stelios also outstanding. Darren Fletcher was having an industrious afternoon for United with tireless running and availability a feature of his play. Saha and Rooney looked a threat every time the ball entered the Bolton danger area.

The attendance, 27,718, was something like a third of Wednesday’s crowd which watched United and West Ham at Old Trafford, but there was no shortage of noise and atmosphere in this final Greater
Manchester derby encounter of the current season.

Twenty nine minutes remaining and Sir Alex Ferguson withdrew Fletcher and sent on Ruud van Nistelrooy to increase United’s firepower. An obvious statement of intent from the United manager as United sought to reduce Chelsea’s lead to seven points at the top of the table.

Bolton continued to ignore United’s agenda as they sought to be United on their own patch since December 1978. And no one personified that more than Okocha who had the home fans off their seats  
in the 65th minute with a fantastic shot which flew by the frame of van der Sar’s goal.

The game then entered a terrific spell when either side could quite easily have moved into the lead. Ronaldo’s 30-yard shot was just over and then Gary Speed’s effort suffered the same fate.

United then had a penalty claim turned down when Ben Haim appeared to foul van Nistelrooy deep in his own area.
  
Eleven minutes from time and the game swung United’s way when Saha and van Nistelrooy, for so long direct contestants for the main striking job in United’s frontline, combined for the Dutchman to score from close range.

Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen; O’Brien (Hunt 74), Ben Haim, N’Gotty, Pedersen; Faye; Giannakopoulos, Okocha, Speed (Diouf 88), Nolan; Davies (Borgetti 88).
Substitutes: Al Habsi, Nakata.

Manchester United: van der Sar; Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre; Ronaldo (Park 89), Fletcher, O’Shea, Giggs; Rooney, Saha.
Substitutes: Howard, Evra, Pique.

Attendance: 27,718

Report by Cliff Butler at the Reebok Stadium.

点点阳阳UID: 2151229

8连胜了吧?

juggernautyUID: 2143098

恩 ，真的很高兴的。

点点阳阳UID: 2151229

如果砍了Chelsea，还有希望，下场对Arsenal吧