BLACKBURN BLOWN OUT

 

(Image taken from Manutd.com)

 

Earlier on in the season, we beat Blackburn 1-0 at Ewood Park for the first time since the late 90s in the Premiership. Since then Blackburn has made it as far as mid table but Mark Hughes's main achievements this season have still been in the cups. For United, Van de Saar returned in goal with the outfield lining up 4-4-1-1. Carrick and Scholes in central midfield, Park left mid, Giggsy as support striker and Rooney up front. The home straight of the Premiership season had begun.

Well United certainly didn't look on top form early on in this match with both sides grabbing chances in the opening minutes. United blew theirs but Blackburn kept running into a brick wall themselves. That wall broke though when Morten Gamst Pederson crossed the ball into the box in the 29th minute and though United kept the shot out, Matt Derbyshire slammed in the rebound. United hammered the Blackburn goal before halftime but came in 1-0 down for what seemed like the first time in ages!

United picked up where they left off though and Blackburn were going to break sooner or later. It happened in the 61st minute when Scholes went past two defenders to slam an equaliser home. We kept up the pressure untill the Blackburn goal ran out of luck for good when Ronaldo fed Carrick in the 73rd minute and the man who should be in the England centre midfield slid the ball in. United were still merciless though and Park made it three in the 83rd minute but firing in a rebound from a Ronaldo free kick. And then Ole came on for Ronaldo and he joined the goal party in injury time, firing in a Park cross. Choke? United?

Chelsea were in more danger of choking than anyone. They faced Watford at Vicarage Road where the attacking allstars found themselves running into a brick wall! The Cocky One's attempt to freshen things up at half time came up empty as Watford still held firm but eventually Soloman Kalou hit a very late winner for the defending champions and even Jose knows that his lot dodged a bullet. The leaves United still top of the Premiership by six points though with seven games to play.

North of the border, Aberdeen faced Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in an SPL game. The first half of the game was messy and goalless with Kille having the slight edge so that when the Dons opened the scoring through a James Fowler og, it was well against the run of play before Russel Anderson put the Reds 2-0 up. Kille pulled one back with a Steven Naismith penalty but the three points were still Red though this was probably the Pittodrie side's most scrabbly win of the season.

Elsewhere Rangers lost two points after a 1-1 draw with Inverness CT at Ibrox which wouldn't have been what Walter Smith had in mind. The Dons got another favour when Hearts won the Edinburgh derby at Easter Road 1-0. That leaves the Reds still in third place in the SPL but the gap to the Gers and Champions League football has been cut to five points while the gap ahead of Hibs and the non-Europe spots has increased to fourteen points even though Hibs have a game in hand.

Now for United's toughest European tie so far this season.

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