Manchester United made light of a power cut and West Ham to cruise to a
comfortable victory.
Kick-off had been delayed for 45 minutes after the electricity supply to Old
Trafford was lost just before the game was due to begin.
Norweb engineers restored power and that was end of the afternoon's drama as
United strolled to one of their easiest wins of the season.
United won without too much effort against a West Ham side who were simply
shocking.
The game was totally forgettable from their point of view except for bright
spark Joe Cole who came on at half-time to make an eye-catching debut in the
Premiership.
The Hammers may have started the day just three points behind United, but the
teams were a class apart once the game started.
Roy Keane was superb in the United's engine room, as was Dwight Yorke.
Andy Cole weighed in with two goals in between efforts from Yorke and
substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
But in truth Cole should have scored four of five goals such was his
wastefulness in front of goal.
Before the game Hammers boss Harry Redknapp had identified United's wide play
as one of their main strengths and to try and counter this he used wing backs.
The tactic was also supposed to make up for Redknapp's lack of full backs,
especially with Julian Dicks out of favour.
But his ploy made little difference and their defence was caught out as early
as the first minute when a mistake by Rio Ferdinand allowed Cole to unleash a
shot which Shaka Hislop turned away for a corner.
That was a taste of things to come and Stan Lazaridis deflected a Ryan Giggs
curler wide before, after nine minutes, United scored the goal they had
threatened from the first whistle.
Keane found Cole on the edge of the area and he turned and picked out Yorke on
the right, who, despite a suspicion of offside, fired home across Hislop for his
13th strike of the season and first since November 25 against Barcelona.
In the 13th minute it should have been 2-0 when Neil Ruddock slipped trying to
intercept Jesper Blomqvist's cross leaving Cole unmarked six yards out, but
Hislop saved his weak shot between his legs.
United underlined their superiority when they scored again five minutes before
half-time.
Nicky Butt's deflected shot rebounded off the post to Cole who knocked the
ball into the unguarded net for his 12th goal of the campaign.
The moment all West Ham fans had been waiting for came at half-time when the
much-hyped Cole came on for his first taste of Premiership action up front in
place of Trevor Sinclair.
The 17-year-old showed some nice touches, but it was United who nearly scored
again when Hislop pushed Keane's deflected shot around the post.
Cole missed again in the 58th minute after great play once again by Keane.
The United captain lifted the ball over the top of the Hammers defence into
the path of Denis Irwin and when Hislop blocked his effort, Cole fired over the
top from the rebound.
The only silver lining to West Ham's cloud was Cole and he displayed great
skill when he backheeled the ball through Irwin's legs to Pearce.
United continued to threaten the West Ham goal, but a third goal was proving
elusive.
Butt stung Hislop's hands with a fierce drive from the edge of the area after
he had been set up by Yorke and Irwin headed wide of the goal from the rebound.
But United would not be denied any longer and midway through the half Yorke
brought the ball down for Cole and this time he made no mistake to beat Hislop.
United turned the match into a rout when Solskjaer headed home their fourth in
the 80th minute after Giggs' flick had been saved by Hislop.
Frank Lampard restored some face for West Ham when he slotted home a
consolation goal two minutes from time.
It will, though, prove little consolation after this pathetic display.
Teams
Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, Irwin, Berg, Brown (Johnsen 77),
Blomqvist, Keane (Cruyff 84), Butt (Solskjaer 77), Yorke, Cole,
Stam, Giggs.
Subs Not Used: Culkin, Beckham.
Goals: Yorke 10, Cole 40, 67, Solskjaer 80.
West Ham: Hislop, Ferdinand, Ruddock, Pearce, Potts, Lazaridis,
Lampard, Berkovic, Sinclair (Cole 45), Lomas, Hartson.
Subs Not Used: Forrest, Abou, Breacker, Iriekpen.
Booked: Sinclair.
Goals: Lampard 89.
Att: 55,180
Ref: M Reed (Birmingham).
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