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  • Rooney (9), Carrick (82)
  • Date:2009-04-22
  • Kick-off:20:00
  • Venue:Old Trafford
  • Attendance:74895
  • Referee:Walton, P

Live Commentary

90mins

It's finished 2-0 and a comfortable win for United moves them three points clear of Liverpool with a game in hand at the top.

90mins

Full-Time: MAN UTD 2-0 PORTSMOUTH. United earn the victory and move three points clear at the top of the table.

90mins

Rafael's effort is parried clear by James as just two minutes of injury time will be played

87mins

Ronaldo plays a free-kick short to Giggs but his cross is blocked. Then Ronaldo's effort is saved by James

84mins

The second goal has wrapped the win up for United and they're going back to the top of the table and three points clear

82mins

MAN UTD 2-0 PORTSMOUTH. CARRICK makes it 2-0 with a good finish after a superb pass by Scholes set him up - should be game over now.

79mins

Davis fouls Carrick but the free-kick is played short as United still look for a second goal

75mins

Michael Carrick is on for Anderson

75mins

Evra is caught out at the back but recovers to concede a corner but Pompey can't make anything out of it

73mins

It looks like there will be a change here with Ferguson not happy with his side's second-half display

70mins

Straight down the other end, Rooney fires an effort straight at James as the home side respond

70mins

United are not playing well at the minute and it's Pompey who are on top as Crouch heads straight at Van der Sar

67mins

Ronaldo goes down the other end but his shot is straight at James

66mins

Pennant pulls the ball back for Crouch after Evans misses the ball but the Pompey striker can't get there and the half-chance goes begging

65mins

Anderson gives the ball away in an advanced area and the move breaks down. The game has gone quiet

62mins

The home fans try to raise the noise with United looking nervous at times leading by just the single goal

60mins

Glen Johnson gets clear out wide then shoots but Van der Sar parries it before Evans clears. Pompey's best moment of the game

57mins

Giggs and Fletcher combine well and win a corner but it's his headed clear by Crouch

53mins

James rushes out of his goal to deny Giggs - the home side still creating plenty of opportunities but it remains just 1-0

52mins

Rafael Da Silva is on now as O'Shea is forced off with an injury. O'Shea only came on for Neville in the first half so United have problems in defence

52mins

United break quickly again as Ronaldo tries to cross for Rooney but it's just too far ahead of him

49mins

Anderson goes down under a challenge from Hayden Mullins but the free-kick is awarded to Pompey

47mins

Pennant is immediately involved as he runs at the United defence

46mins

Nugent, who picked up a knock in the first half, is forced off with Pennant coming on for him

45mins

The second 45 minutes is underway at Old Trafford

45mins

Half-Time: MAN UTD 1-0 PORTSMOUTH.

44mins

Darren Fletcher wastes another great chance to extend United's lead as one minute of stoppage time is signalled

40mins

Signs of Portsmouth getting back into the game with more possession before Sol Campbell's awful header presents Rooney with the ball who finds Giggs but he shoots wide - another great chance wasted by the home side that

37mins

Crouch is having a good game for Pompey and his cross into a dangerous area is cleared

34mins

United are well on top now as Rooney's shot is turned behind for a corner

32mins

Giggs is sent clear and should score but James comes out to make a good save to deny him

30mins

O'Shea heads Giggs' corner goalwards but Belhadj clears it off the line before James then lashes the ball clear

28mins

Nugent is clearly struggling after that challenge from Vidic and it looks like Jermaine Pennant will be coming onto replace him

27mins

Belhadj races past a few United players before finding Hermann Hreidarsson but his cross is cleared

25mins

Nemanja Vidic is rightly booked for a poor challenge on Nugent - who will require treatment

24mins

Giggs fires a lovely ball to Ronaldo but the Portuguese ace is crowded out

22mins

Jonny Evans concedes a corner but Belhadj's cross is overhit and it drifts over to the other side of the field - wasted by Pompey

20mins

Another swift move from United ends with Ronaldo being caught offside and they look good for a second goal at the minute

19mins

Belhadj overcooks a back header to David James to give United a corner from which the eventual delivery finds Ronaldo but his header is weak and easy for James

17mins

Peter Crouch and Nugent try to break forward but the move breaks down with United defending well

15mins

The visitors had made a good early start but that Rooney goal has given United confidence and they look to be closing in on the win already

13mins

Anderson almost makes it 2-0 straight away but wastes a great chance after sloppy defending from Pompey

12mins

Neville will have to go off and John O'Shea comes on for him

10mins

Gary Neville has a problem and goes off to get treatment

9mins

MAN UTD 1-0 PORTSMOUTH. ROONEY puts United 1-0 ahead after great build-up play from Ryan Giggs and Anderson to set him up

8mins

United finally put a bit of passing together but the attack breaks down with Anderson unable to keep the ball in

7mins

United haven't got started yet and have made several uncharacteristic mistakes so far

4mins

Belhadj fires a quick snapshot but it flies over the bar

2mins

Portsmouth make a decent start and keep the ball confidently early on before Anderson fouls David Nugent for a free-kick

0mins

The action at Old Trafford gets underway in this crucial game

0mins

Sir Alex Ferguson makes nine changes from the FA Cup semi-final defeat with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs all starting. Pompey make two changes, Nadir Belhadj and Richard Hughes replace Younes Kaboul and Niko Kranjcar.

0mins

United will go back to the top of the table and three points clear of Liverpool with still one game in hand if they can beat Portsmouth at Old Trafford tonight.

Match Preview

Manchester United's bid for a hat-trick of Premier League titles continues with the visit of struggling Portsmouth to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils may have lost top spot by the time they take to the field, having also suffered an FA Cup semi-final defeat at the weekend, going down 4-2 on penalties to Everton.

Sir Alex Ferguson courted controversy by leaving a number of first-team regulars out of his side for that game, but he will not do so again for the arrival of Pompey.

Ferguson has confirmed that Wayne Rooney will be fit to feature, the England striker having missed Sunday's loss to his former club due to a foot injury.

Midfielder Darren Fletcher also returns to the squad, as should Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo, but Michael Carrick is struggling with a slight knock.

Ferguson admitted ahead of the game: "We did our analysis of the semi-final on the train back. It's done and now we move on to Wednesday, it's a big game for us.

"We've got seven league games left to play and I hope we win them all."

Pompey travel to the north-west boosted by a crucial 1-0 victory at home to Bolton Wanderers at the weekend.

That win lifted Paul Hart's side six points clear of the relegation places, despite recent criticism that the team had been too negative.

However, they are almost certain to be without key midfielder Niko Kranjcar, who was stretchered off in the morale-boosting 1-0 win at Fratton Park.

However, scans have revealed no significant damage and Kranjcar may only miss one game.

Hart commented: "He's looking a lot better. We're hopeful he'll be back sooner rather than later.

"He's a quick healer, a boy with a strong and positive mental attitude and that's a big boost for us, because he's an integral part of our plans and has been doing well."


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Match Report

Manchester United went back to the top of the Premier League and three points clear of Liverpool with a game in hand thanks to a 2-0 victory at home to Portsmouth.

Ahead after nine minutes thanks to a Wayne Rooney goal, it was not until eight minutes from time that substitute Michael Carrick finally made the points safe for the Red Devils.

United squandered countless chances and Pompey did enough to worry Old Trafford's army of home fans.

United took the lead with a superb goal, crafted by Anderson's glorious long pass from just inside the Portsmouth half to Ryan Giggs on the left.

It was a hairline decision as to whether or not Giggs was onside, but the United veteran collected the ball skilfully, before producing a measured low cross into the penalty area where Rooney was left with a simple right-foot tap-in from six yards.

The home side were denied a second goal on the half-hour when substitute John O'Shea connected with a Giggs corner at the near post, only to see Nadir Belhadj head the ball off the line at the far post.

Pompey's England goalkeeper David James was to prove a giant stumbling block to United's attempts to improve their goal difference.

James saved brilliantly from Giggs at point-blank range after he head been freed by Rooney, while the England man himself was also thwarted by the Portsmouth goalkeeper.

Giggs and Darren Fletcher went close for United in the latter stages of the first half, but the Red Devils went off the boil after the interval.

Pompey right-back Glen Johnson's mazy run down the right and along the byline ended with United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar forced to palm away the England defender's dangerous cross.

Peter Crouch missed two chances to equalise - the second a header from eight yards which was kept out by the diving van der Sar.

Rooney was again denied by James, but United finally clinched victory in the 82nd minute.

Paul Scholes, making his 600th appearance for United, slotted an inch-perfect pass through for Carrick on the right side of the Pompey penalty area and he beat James with a low right-foot shot into the far corner of the net.

Manchester United

Portsmouth

Corners

62

Fouls

108

Goal attempts

205

Shots off target

64

Offsides

50

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