Fergie praise for Owen

Published: 18 Jul 2009 - 12:42:00

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Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Michael Owen's predatory instincts after the England striker marked his Manchester United debut with a goal in their 3-2 win over a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpur. Wayne Rooney and Nani put United two up but a brace from Mohammed Amri Yahyah drew the hosts level only for Owen to slot home the winner. Ferguson felt Yahyah's first goal just before half-time determined the course of the match. He told MUTV: "It was as we expected, they were full of enthusiasm, energy and speed and caught us on the counter-attack a couple of times. It was a very open match. "The goal before half-time changed things. The energy was always going to drop off in the second half because it was our first game. It became a very difficult game after that." Regarding Owen, Ferguson added: "He's different from our other players, he's always searching for space, he's always in and around the box. He reacted well for his goal."