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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Reebok Stadium
  • Attendance: 27229
  • Referee: Styles, R

Live Commentary

90mins

Rob Styles blows for full time and puts Bolton out of their misery, United did all the damage in the first 20 minutes of the game and a Rooney Hat-Rick and a Ronaldo goal give United 3 easy points at the Reebok Stadium.

90mins

The game is petering out as Bolton accept that they have been well defeated

89mins

BOLTON WANDERERS 0-4 MANCHESTER UNITED (ROONEY): After going one-on-one with the Bolton keeper, Rooney gets his hat-rick and a rampant United make this game look so easy

87mins

Ben Haim recieves a booking for unsporting behaviour

85mins

After unsporting behaviour, O'Shea does his first thing in the game and gets booked

83mins

Tal replaces Giannakopoulos for Bolton

83mins

Davies is taken for and a youngster Johan Smith replaces him.

82mins

O'Shea replaces Saha and Flecther comes on for Giggs

82mins

BOLTON WANDERERS 0-3 MANCHESTER UNITED (RONALDO): After Saha gets into the corner, he puts the ball across and Ronaldo slots it home from 6 yards

80mins

A Bolton free-kick goes straight to Van der Sar, and the game seems to be virtually out of Bolton's hands

77mins

Campo goes up for a header but according to the ref, he has fouled Gary Neville

75mins

Van der Sar saves on the line from a Campo shot, the resulting corner raises appeals for a Bolton penalty, but the ref waves away the protests

73mins

Jaaskelainen makes a great save from Ronaldo as United seem to be turning on the style at will

72mins

Diouf goes down in the box, but it appears he lost his balance in the box rather than being fouled, not that it stopped Diouf appealling for a penalty

70mins

Bolton are battling their way back into this game, but they can't seem to create any dangerous chances

68mins

Hunt is taken off for tatical reasons as Pedersen comes on

66mins

Scholes recieves a booking after another bad foul on Bolton

65mins

Scholes gives away a free-kick for shirt pulling, the resulting effort from Campo is just stopped from Van der Sar

62mins

Giannakopoulos is penalised for a foul, and United, who have certainly dropped the tempo, have a free-kick, and keep playing posession football

60mins

Evra, who needs carrying off, is replaced by Heinze

58mins

Rooney shows his usual aggression for the game as he goes in hard on a couple of tackles, but the crowd want a foul

55mins

Evra spent along time on the floor after the foul, and after nothing apprently seems to be wrong wiht him, Evra is now recieving boo's from the home crowd after every touch

52mins

Davies recieves a booking, which could be said to be slightly harsh, after a foul on Evra

50mins

A free-kick is wasted by Anelka and Bolton need to be at least hitting the target from chances like this

48mins

Scholes gives away a free-kick after a bad foul on Campo

47mins

Anelka goes down and Van Der Sar collects the ball as Bolton are looking for that vital first goal

45mins

The game gets back underway as Bolton will look to get a quick goal and get back into this game

45mins

The half-time whistle goes as Bolton will be relieved to take shelter in the dressing room. United have dominated this game and a Rooney double gives United a much deserved 2-0 lead.

45mins

Bolton have successive corners, and after an initial scramble in the box, the ref blows for a free-kick

45mins

Bolton are still hanging on as the game enters the one minute of time to be added

43mins

Rooney crosses the ball but United can't make a chance out of it

41mins

Anelka has a shot that is blasted over the bar, it seems Bolton need half time to come very quickly

39mins

The game has subduded and the crowd, especially the away United fans, are trying to gear their side back up

37mins

A Bolton corner deflects of Evra and goes out for another corner, which, results in Van der Sar getting the ball away

33mins

Despite this, Bolton refuse to be kept down as Ben Haim shots wide, this game is certainly a very lively affair

32mins

The game has slowed down from the very high tempo in which this game started, but United still look in control

29mins

Saha strikes it from 25 yards with his left foot, but his effort hits the post

28mins

Giggs volleys wied with a ambitious shot, but the fact that he has the confidence to attempt it shows how well United are doing

25mins

Bolton are looking to get something in this game, but United are setting the tempo and are on top

23mins

Giannakopoulos goes down easily after a minimal touch from Evra, the ref, it appears has been slightly conned, the resulting free-kick from Speed goes just wide Giannakopoulos goes down easily after a minimal touch from Evra, the ref, it appears has

21mins

The United forwards have controlled this game, as Neville is also adding an extra dimension to United's flow

20mins

Bolton have no input in this game as an Anelka air shot typifies the running of this game

16mins

BOLTON WANDERERS 0-2 MANCHESTER UNITED (ROONEY): 20 yards out, and Rooney bends the ball in just inside the post, and Rooney shows that he is back in goal scoring form

15mins

Ronaldo is especially looking good today as his typically mazy runs are dazzling the Bolton defence

13mins

The relief on Rooney's face was clear for everyone to see, but United on the other hand are still driving forward.

10mins

BOLTON WANDERERS 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED (ROONEY): After a Carrick pass, Rooney finally breaks his personal Deadlock and drives it home with ease

10mins

A goal line clearance from Saha's header and Bolton clear their lines but are hanging on

8mins

A Giggs shot goes through 5 United players in the box and goes out for a throw. Bolton haven't started this game well as United are dominating

6mins

A good passing movement by United and Evra's shot is saved. The resulting corner is wasted by Gary Neville

5mins

United have the upper hand in the beginning of this match as a Ronaldo shot goes close

3mins

Giggs looked dangerous and fizzes a shot across goal that only goes about a yard wide, but the Bolton keeper looked comfortable

1mins

Neville's cross is intercepted by Jussi Jaaskelainen as he looks to carry on his good form from the game against Blackburn last

0mins

Rob Styles is the man in charge of this game, and signals the start of the game as it also marks Diouf's 50th appearance for Bolton

0mins

Manchester United visit their neighbours with no major injury worries, and the starting 11 is: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Saha, Rooney.

0mins

Bolton line-up at the Reebok Stadium for this 3rd vs 2nd place clash with: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Faye, Meite, Ben Haim, Giannakopoulos, Campo, Speed, Diouf, Davies, Anelka. Kevin Nolan is suspended for this match.

Match Report

Wayne Rooney grabbed a sensational hat-trick to keep Manchester United top of the Premiership and show Bolton exactly how far they have to go if they are to genuinely challenge regularly with football's elite.

A fantastic treble from Rooney, complimented by a Cristiano Ronaldo tap-in, left Wanderers contemplating a first home defeat of the season as United left the Reebok just ahead of Chelsea on goal difference.

Rooney, who hadn't scored since his opening day double against Fulham, finished the game as a contest as early as the 16th minute when he put the Red Devils two up with successive finishes that were worthy of winning any game, before Ronaldo tapped in the third late on.

The match ball was claimed in time added on thanks to another cool finish when Rooney was clean through.

Although a fifth successive win and a first against their illustrious neighbours in the top-flight, would have put Bolton second, they never got going at all. They were never allowed to.

Rooney's first, in the tenth minute, was laid on a plate by Michael Carrick's calculated chipped through ball that split defenders Abdoulaye Faye and Nicky Hunt. All Rooney had to do was fire past a hapless Jussi Jaaskelainen at his near post.

His second arrived just six minutes later when capitalised on an unfortunate ricochet from Tal Ben Haim's block tackle on Gary Neville. The ball squirmed to Rooney who controlled and curled it into the bottom right corner. Again Jaasekelainen had no chance.

The opening 20 minutes were as one sided as any Premiership game could ever be - especially by an away side - and the game was done and dusted.

Although Rooney's goals were key, Ryan Giggs was also instrumental down the wing with a couple of dangerous crosses and a volley well saved by Jaaskelainen. Bolton were awarded their first attacking position thanks to a free-kick 25 yards from goal in the 23rd minute.

Captain for the day Gary Speed, replacing the suspended Kevin Nolan, stepped up and fired it wide of the left upright with Edwin Van der Sar always in control of the situation.

From then on, United stepped off the gas, content with their two-goal lead, and it was soon evident that Bolton had absolutely nothing to throw back at them.

Ivan Campo tried his best to orchestrate things from the centre of midfield and Nicolas Anelka, starved of any goal chance, looked Bolton's best bet wide on the left.

For a short spell midway through the second half, Bolton were able to revert to their normal tactics of pumping long throws and crosses into the box, but defensive duo Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic stood strong and repelled the danger.

And then it was back to the goals, and the icing on top of the cake. United played so well in this derby that it would have been an injustice if they had left with only two goals to their name. They really did play that well in scoring the first goals at the Reebok this term.

So when Louis Saha unselfishly fed Ronaldo in the 84th minute, following another fine assist from Carrick, it was no surprise to see him roll the ball into an empty net, which Jaaskelainen had vacated expecting Saha to shoot.

And to round things off in the most perfect of fashions, Rooney cushioned Darren Fletcher's through ball, following a loose ball from Ivory Coast international Abdoulaye Meite to fire past the keeper.

It was Rooney's first treble in the Premiership and his second for the Old Trafford side after the one he got on debut in the Champions League against Fenerbahce in October 2004.

Bolton Wanderers

Manchester United

Corners

72

Fouls

1611

Goal attempts

816

Shots off target

55

Offsides

11

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