United and the Wanderers
Cristiano Ronaldo played the captain's role to the full, scoring both goals to hand Manchester United a 2-0 win against Bolton and the advantage in the title race. Ronaldo, given the skipper's armband for the first time by Sir Alex Ferguson, responded with a virtuoso display.
In the ninth minute, Carlos Tevez threatened to score, only for Ricardo Gardner to whip the ball off his toe, but from the resulting corner Ronaldo struck. First the winger rose to head back Nani's corner, Tevez missed an overhead kick but Bolton only half-cleared and Ronaldo was swiftly there to strike a shot into the ground and home from 12 yards out.
Then in the twentieth minute Ronaldo struck again, after being fouled. It was another of those tremendous Ronaldo free-kicks that appear to defy the laws of physics - rising, dipping and swerving from 30 yards out over a six-man wall to leave the Bolton keeper clutching thin air.
United nearly made it three in first-half injury-time as first Darren Fletcher's low drive was blocked and then John O'Shea blasted wide.
Immediately after the break Bolton got into further trouble by chopping down Tevez on the edge of the box. Old Trafford awaited Ronaldo, but he was the decoy and instead Nani took the free-kick and only a sprawling dive by the keeper kept the ball out. A Ronaldo hat-trick looked odds on when he ran at the Bolton defence, performed a couple of step-overs and sent in a fierce shot but the keeper was able to parry his effort.
Saha should have sealed matters after a neat side-step but lost his cool and found the stands instead. As United poured forward for a third, Nani had three decent chances in quick succession, two missed and one saved. The home fans were left cursing they had not fallen to his captain.
Ferguson said: 'The important thing was that we had the opportunity and the incentive to go three points clear of Arsenal, our nearest pursuers. 'It's nip and tuck now. I think it's going to go to the wire. Chelsea will be key because they have got us and Arsenal at home. It's a lead, it's not a significant lead but it's a lead nonetheless. 'With eight games to go the team who plays with the most consistency now will win it.'
Ronaldo now has 33 goals this season - overtaking George Best's 32 in 1968, the most a United winger had scored in one campaign until now - and 24 in the league.
Ferguson added: 'It's fantastic and speaks volumes about the player, it's amazing that he can do that playing in the position he does.'
In the ninth minute, Carlos Tevez threatened to score, only for Ricardo Gardner to whip the ball off his toe, but from the resulting corner Ronaldo struck. First the winger rose to head back Nani's corner, Tevez missed an overhead kick but Bolton only half-cleared and Ronaldo was swiftly there to strike a shot into the ground and home from 12 yards out.
Then in the twentieth minute Ronaldo struck again, after being fouled. It was another of those tremendous Ronaldo free-kicks that appear to defy the laws of physics - rising, dipping and swerving from 30 yards out over a six-man wall to leave the Bolton keeper clutching thin air.
United nearly made it three in first-half injury-time as first Darren Fletcher's low drive was blocked and then John O'Shea blasted wide.
Immediately after the break Bolton got into further trouble by chopping down Tevez on the edge of the box. Old Trafford awaited Ronaldo, but he was the decoy and instead Nani took the free-kick and only a sprawling dive by the keeper kept the ball out. A Ronaldo hat-trick looked odds on when he ran at the Bolton defence, performed a couple of step-overs and sent in a fierce shot but the keeper was able to parry his effort.
Saha should have sealed matters after a neat side-step but lost his cool and found the stands instead. As United poured forward for a third, Nani had three decent chances in quick succession, two missed and one saved. The home fans were left cursing they had not fallen to his captain.
Ferguson said: 'The important thing was that we had the opportunity and the incentive to go three points clear of Arsenal, our nearest pursuers. 'It's nip and tuck now. I think it's going to go to the wire. Chelsea will be key because they have got us and Arsenal at home. It's a lead, it's not a significant lead but it's a lead nonetheless. 'With eight games to go the team who plays with the most consistency now will win it.'
Ronaldo now has 33 goals this season - overtaking George Best's 32 in 1968, the most a United winger had scored in one campaign until now - and 24 in the league.
Ferguson added: 'It's fantastic and speaks volumes about the player, it's amazing that he can do that playing in the position he does.'
posted by Swanson Red at 12:57 pm
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