Vidic and Nani sink seething Spurs

30 October 2010 11:38
A first-half header from Nemanja Vidic and a controversial strike from Nani gave Manchester United a 2-0 win over Tottenham at Old Trafford.[LNB] United captain Vidic opened the scoring with a header after 31 pulsating minutes before Nani reacted quickest to some goalmouth confusion to prod home five minutes from time.[LNB]Spurs were furious with referee Mark Clattenburg for allowing the second goal, scored after goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes placed what he believed to be a dead ball.[LNB]With just two minutes gone Park Ji-sung had come within a whisker of giving United the lead, taking a couple of touches to line up a shot before letting fly from 25 yards. His low effort had Gomes well beaten but cannoned off the post to safety.[LNB]Nani also found room to shoot in the opening minutes but this time Gomes made a straightforward save.[LNB]Spurs did not allow themselves to be shellshocked by United's busy start and only a precision tackle by Darren Fletcher stopped Aaron Lennon testing Edwin van der Sar after a swift counter-attack in the fourth minute.[LNB]Rafael van der Vaart then matched Park's earlier effort, holding possession despite tumbling to the floor before rising to curl the ball against the far post.[LNB]Chances continued to come at both ends - Van der Vaart drilling over for the visitors and Park missing the target after some neat footwork in the Tottenham area.[LNB]By now United were looking the better side and Spurs survived another nervy moment when Gomes spilled Michael Carrick's shot before gathering again with Javier Hernandez lurking.[LNB]Tottenham looked capable of catching their opponents on the break but United's attacks were producing more clear-cut opportunities.[LNB]Fletcher missed the latest of them after 25 minutes, failing to convert from the edge of the box after some patient approach play from Nani.[LNB]A clumsy Younes Kaboul challenge after half an hour gave the Red Devils the chance to attack from a set-piece and they duly cashed in. Nani floated in the free-kick in from the left and Vidic eased in front of Benoit Assou-Ekotto to head home.[LNB]A quickly-taken throw by Gareth Bale, who started despite Harry Redknapp's suggestion that he may be rested, gave Van der Vaart a sight of goal soon after but he badly mishit his shot.[LNB]Luka Modric did better with a sweetly-struck half-volley from the Holland star's corner a minute later but Van der Sar was on hand with a vital diving save.[LNB]Dimitar Berbatov could have doubled the lead over his old club just before the interval but a combination of Gomes and William Gallas stifled him.[LNB]As in the first half, United came out firing at the start of the second, with both Hernandez and Berbatov just failing to get clean shots away in the opening moments.[LNB]Robbie Keane and Jermaine Jenas, both drafted in to the starting XI for this match, were looking distinctly off the pace in key positions for Spurs.[LNB]In the 59th minute, Bale finally gave the away support something to cheer. In a passage reminiscent of his memorable Champions League hat-trick against Inter Milan he strode past a handful of red shirts and bore down on goal, only to see his shot squirm just wide of Van der Sar's far post.[LNB]Keane gave way to Roman Pavlyuchenko[LNB]just past the hour mark, handing the captaincy to Modric in the process.[LNB]After Van der Vaart failed to beat Van der Sar from a tight angle, Pavlyuchenko almost got lucky when his 25-yard effort nearly found its way over the line courtesy of Vidic's deflection, before Peter Crouch replaced Van der Vaart - who looked in a little discomfort as he left the pitch - in the 77th minute.[LNB]Nani's controversial strike ended matters, with the officials judging play to be active when Gomes placed the ball down in his area after an unsuccessful penalty appeal.[LNB]Gomes clearly believed he was lining up a dead ball but the Portuguese winger was the only one on the referee's wavelength and rolled the ball in to tee up furious scenes of protest by the visitors.

Source: Team_Talk