Dwight Yorke kept Manchester United on course for yet more domestic glory despite the doubts surrounding his international future as United crushed poor Bradford 4-0 at Valley Parade.

Yorke currently finds himself on the horns of a dilemma given the demands which could yet be placed upon him by Trinidad and Tobago over the next few months.

The £12.5million striker could miss United's Champions' League quarter-final first-leg clash with Real Madrid at the Bernabeau Stadium on April 4 as he is required for a World Cup qualifier with Dominica just two days previously.

The problem runs so deep further matches for country could even see him miss the rest of United's European campaign as they look to retain the trophy they won in dramatic fashion last May against Bayern Munich.

Yorke is understood to have complained of exhaustion given his recent jetsetting across the Atlantic for the Gold Cup in the United States.

But with more qualifying matches looming as United maintain their latest assault on a Premier and Champions' League double, Yorke is apparently considering quitting the international scene.

If he does decide to call it a day, then Manchester United can only benefit and the rest of the Premiership suffer - just as Bradford did today.

After being rested in midweek by Sir Alex Ferguson for the goalless draw in Valencia, Yorke returned to score his 18th and 19th goals of the season in the space of three minutes.

But for the woodwork which sandwiched the brace, then it would have been the fastest hat-trick in Premiership history.

It mattered little other than it helped United again stretch their lead at the top of the table to seven points over nearest rivals Leeds, who again find themselves under pressure to play catch-up when they travel to Leicester tomorrow.

City started with a passion and a purpose which was clearly lacking in their 4-0 embarrassment at Coventry last week.

At Highfield Road, Bradford's bulldog spirit had vanished and they looked nothing more than toothless pussycats destined for a quick return to the First Division.

But for the first 25 minutes at Valley Parade they outplayed their more illustrious visitors and were unlucky not to take the lead after just two minutes.

Mark Bosnich had another of those 45 minutes he would like to forget as he first spilled Peter Beagrie's 30-yard drive and but for Phil Neville, City striker Jorge Cadete would have pounced on the rebound.

The Australian international then looked in dreamland as he dwelled on a simple pass back, which allowed Cadete - starting his first game for Bradford - to close him down, with Bosnich lucky to see his late clearance cannon into touch.

Minutes later it was Phil Neville who again saved United as another Beagrie drive was intially blocked by Dean Windass.

But the striker was then presented with a clear sight of goal from eight yards, and just as he looked set to test Bosnich it was United's left-back who dived in to clear.

From the midway point, United finally took control as they shook off the apparent lethargy which had seen them sleepwalk through the game so far.

A fit-again Ryan Giggs, one of six changes to the side which drew in Spain, should have done better with a lofted chip over Matt Clarke after being fed by David Beckham.

Paul Scholes then charged tenaciously into the heart of the Bantams area, evading three tackles in the process before finally being stopped by David Wetherall.

From the corner, however, it was a typical inswinging Beckham delivery onto which Yorke rose to power home the opener to start a purple patch for the formidable forward.

The right-hand post then prevented a potential second within a minute, but Yorke was not to be denied because within moments he had scooped another Beckham ball over a backtracking Clarke, who eventually ended up in the back of the net.

The game was effectively over at that point, but the coup de grace was yet to be applied and that came in the 71st minute when Scholes sensationally volleyed home another Beckham corner from 20 yards.

The now shaven-headed Beckham, after providing the ammunition for the first three goals, decided it was time he was on the scoresheet and he duly obliged with the final nail in the game's coffin for Bradford.

The midfielder's 80th-minute shot made up in accuracy what it lacked in power as Clarke, starting his first game for two months after a knee injury, was rooted as Beckham found the bottom right-hand corner of the net from 18 yards.

It was Bradford's second successive 4-0 defeat, with United matching the scoreline they achieved at Old Trafford on December 26 - although it was their best on the road this season.

As for Yorke, though, he would now appear to be approaching a watershed moment of his career.

Teams:

Bradford: Clarke, Halle (Sharpe 58), Wetherall, O'Brien, Jacobs, Lawrence, McCall, Windass, Beagrie, Saunders, Cadete (Blake 70).

Subs Not Used: Westwood, Dreyer, Davison.

Man Utd: Bosnich, G. Neville, Berg, Silvestre, P. Neville, Beckham, Keane (Wallwork 75), Scholes, Giggs (Solskjaer 82), Cole, Yorke.

Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Butt, Sheringham.

Booked: Beckham.

Goals: Yorke 37, 40, Scholes 71, Beckham 79.

Att: 18,276

Ref: G Poll (Tring).