They deserved it !!!

[paul.saunders]

Manchester United put on a a stunning display today in a

behind-closed-doors

rematch ordered by the FA after Tuesdays debacle at

Old Trafford. The Super Reds went ahead just before the kick-off when

Giggs

was sent away down the left wing. His cross was handled on the half

way

line by a Spurs defender and a penalty was awarded for this cynical

foul.

Paul Scholes stepped up to slot the ball home for United's 33rd penalty

of

the season. It was no more than United deserved.

 

The 15th minute saw the Super-Smashing Reds go two up after Michael

Carrick

was penalised for coughing just outside the area. Christiano

Ronaldo's resultant free kick was slightly miss-hit, but even if the

keeper

was not being pinned to the floor by Roy Keane, he would not have

saved it. 2-0. It was no more than United deserved.

 

The 21st minute saw more trouble for Spurs when Erik Edman was sent-off

for

enquiring about the referee's Man United shirt. However two minutes

after

the interval Spurs struck back after an amazing piece of good fortune.

The

referee's assistant could only parry Pedro Mendes' shot and Robbie

Keane

thumped the ball home. Confusion reigned for 10 minutes as the entire

Manchester United squad surrounded the referee, arguing that the

referee's

assistant had been fouled 15 minutes earlier. The referee grudgingly

had to

give the goal even though

he racked his brain for a reason to disallow it.

 

Alex Ferguson was furious and rushed down from his seat in the stand to

the

dugout, knocking over a number of blind, disabled, pensioners in

wheel-chairs on the way down. Fortunately, things settled down again

as

Paul Scholes took a long-range shot, which deflected off the corner

flag but

had clearly crossed the line, 3-1. It was no more than United deserved.

 

Just after the restart, un-sportsmanlike Nourredine Naybet was

dismissed for

making ridiculous claims for a penalty after Roy Keane had nearly

decapitated Robbie Keane. The referee and his assistant missed the

incident

as they were both asking Ryan Giggs for his autograph, but replays

showed

that Keane's flying kung-fu kick, followed by a forearm smash was

clearly

unintentional. Ten minutes later Ferguson took off Giggs and replaced

him

with Alan Smith, Eric Djemba Djemba and the suspended Wayne Rooney.

Wonderful, wonderful Man United's 4th came shortly after. Robbie Keane

was

caught offside just outside the Spurs penalty area and Rooneys

free-kick

thundered in after deflecting off the underside of the flood lights. It

was

no more than United deserved.

 

The super, marvel, wonder Reds kept the pressure on until the bitter

end. In

the 98th minute Ledley King conceded a free kick just outside

his own area for blatantly glancing at the referee. Ronaldo stepped up

and

proceeded to chip the ball right into the referee's path and he made no

mistake from 10 yards. Goal number 5 and it was no more than United

deserved.

 

Scholes slotted home number 6 from the penalty spot after Gardner went

down

with a broken leg. Fortunately Roy Keane was nearby when it

happened and, after running 50 yards, he was able to bring the incident

to

the referee's attention. Unfazed by Gardner's cynical tactics,

protruding bone and spraying blood, the referee sent him off for diving

(and

time wasting) and awarded United the penalty. Scholes cheekily

chipped the ball over the keeper and the crossbar, but the referee

decided

that it was a goal, because based on past records, Scholes

rarely missed. When the final whistle went after 33 minutes of injury

time,

Spurs traipsed off with their heads low, having been taught a

footballing

lesson by what is by far the greatest team the World has ever seen. As

the

losers hit the showers, a superb flowing movement by United culminated

with

a fine diving header by Alex Ferguson and it was 7-1.

 

However the referee decided that it was such a good goal, it should

count

double. 8-1 then - and it was no more than United deserved.