FOOTBALL Live

Saturday February 21, 2009 Finished Old Trafford

2 - 1

Manchester United

  • Rooney 23’
  • Ronaldo 59’

Blackburn Rovers

  • Santa Cruz 32’

1032 comments | Write your comment

  1. United edge Blackburn

    United edge Blackburn

    Manchester United extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points after a 2-1 win over gutsy Blackburn at Old Trafford. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Manchester United
    • Blackburn Rovers
    • 90'+5 That's it! The whistle blows, and Blackburn's incredible effort has come to nothing! They'll be gutted not to take a point from Old Trafford, but Manchester United came through like the champions they are.
    • 90'+4 Last few kicks of the match, and Robinson is up for the corner... but it comes to nothing. Blackburn are desperate for this equaliser!
    • 90' Rooney runs half the pitch and has another go at goal-of-the-month, but his shot drifts well wide.
    • 87' Rooney feeds a great shot to Berbatov - WHO HEADS TO THE TOP CORNER, BUT IT'S SAVED! That really should have been 3-1 and game over for United.
    • 85' Speculative shot from Rooney, trying to win the goal-of-the-month competition with a sort of looping round-house floating kick that just misses the top corner.
    • 84' This match could still go either way! First Blackburn have a chance, the Ronaldo and Rooney combine at the other end only to force a great save from Robinson.
    • 82' Scholesy comes off - what a star he is - and an even bigger star runs on to replace him! It's Giggsy!
    • 80' Good ball in from Warnock, but again there was nobody in the centre to capitalise for Blackburn.
    • 78' Apologies for the scoring delay - a couple of technical issues. Hopefully all working now, as Ronaldo steps up and has a crack from 35 yards. He connects well, but the ball catches a defender.
    • 74' Tugay comes on for Blackburn, replacing Dunn.
    • 72' No big chances for either team in the last few minutes, but the Blackburn coaching staff are discussing a change.
    • 69' Blackburn are still fuming about that evidently unjust decision. And well they might - that could have been an incredible second goal conceded.
    • 66' PEANLTY TO BLACKBURN, SURELY! But it's not given! Pedersen goes down in the box while through on goal, but the referee decides that the grabbing hands of Evra played no part in him falling. That seems incredibly harsh on the Blackburn man - he was through, why would he dive?
    • 64' Blackburn come back up the pitch to create a new attack, but it must be heartbreaking for them to be undone by the jinking, diving Portuguese winger just a minute after hitting the post themselves.
    • 61' Ferguson makes a double substitution immediately after the goal: Tevez and Vidic are on for Evans and Nani. That came about so quickly it must surely have been planned before Ronaldo's strike.
    • 59' Keith Andrews booked for a challenge on Nani, and it's a free kick on the edge of the box AND RONALDO SCORES!!!! AN AMAZING FREE KICK RIGHT INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET! It was an amazing shot from a tight angle, and Ronaldo shows why he's the best - just a minute after showing why people have such mixed feelings about him.
    • 58' Blackburn charge up the other end of the pitch - first Pedersen shoots well and it's saved, but in the very next wave the Scandinavian tries again AND HITS THE POST! SO COLSE TO TAKING THE LEAD FOR BLACKBURN!
    • 56' Ronaldo again - this time CHEATING! The most ludicrous dive of 2009 so far, perpetrated by the winger as he was about to enter the box, earns him the ire of the ref.
    • 55' Ronaldo... Ronaldo... Ronaldo... he's everywhere at the moment, desperate to impose his will on this game, but the wall of defenders forces him to run back on himself just when he should be shooting.
    • 53' Blackburn attack but it's cut out - and Man U counter, looking dangerous through Ronaldo. But Blackburn get seven players behind the ball - not counting the goalkeeper - and there's just no way through.
    • 50' The two near-misses at either end has woken up the defensive sensibilities of both sets of players, and things tighten up in the centre of the park.
    • 48' Amazingly, Blackburn come right up the other end and come within a whisker of scoring themselves! A lovely move on the break up the left leads to the ball coming in - but none of the two Blackburn players can get on the end of it.
    • 46' The game restarts brightly for United - and GREAT EFFORT FROM RONALDO! The winger hits a lovely 25-yard shot that looks good, but is never on target.
    • 45'+2 Right on half-time Blackburn come back up the pitch, but Pedersen can make nothing of it. That's half-time, and though Man U have been light-years smoother than Blackburn, both sides have just the one goal.
    • 45' Jonny Evans jumps high to head a Nani cross - AND SCORES - ONLY NO, HE DOESN'T! He's penalised instead for a fairly minor-looking push. Still 1-1.
    • 44' United come charging again, with Ronaldo getting on the end of the ball in the box and looking as if he's about to dazzle - but he's well tackled by Nelsen.
    • 41' United push up looking to restore the lead that was so rudely stolen, but the defence are starting to get the measure of them now. They've resorted to rushing the United attackers en masse every time one of them has the ball.
    • 39' There's a definite lull in the match now, with lost of mid-field to-and-fro, neither team being able to hang on to the ball.
    • 36' Givet is taken off the pitch for a bit of treatment on a sore leg. Missing a defender is not a good state of affairs for Blackburn, so they're glad when he is able to get back up and return quickly.
    • 33' Immediately before the goal we were lamenting Blackburn's gulf in class - and it's still there, but Santa Cruz has still levelled it. Bet Van der Sar is glad he's not on the pitch now - his record remains intact.
    • 32' AN EQUALISER FOR BLACKBURN!!! It's Roque Santa Cruz who scores, rounding the keeper after getting on to the end of a long ball through before brilliantly slotting in a goal at a fine angle on the fly. Great finish from Santa Cruz...
    • 29' The gulf in class here is amazing: Blackburn are clearly a well-drilled side, with good players... but they're being made to look several divisions worse than their hosts at the moment.
    • 27' Another great chance for Man U, Ronaldo putting in a long, looping cross from the right which finds Nani at the far post. He just doesn't have enough time to pass to the waiting Rooney, and the attack is snuffed out by Diouf charging back into defence.
    • 25' Ronaldo very nearly makes it two, cutting in from the right and hitting a left-foot shot - but he doesn't quite connect, and the ball goes straight at the keeper.
    • 23' GOAL FOR ROOOOOONNEEEY!!!! A brilliant, low, skidding cross from Nani on the right curls right into the path of Rooney and his marker Ryan Nelsen. Nelsen stretches out and gets a foot to the ball, but only succeeds in nudging it on a foot or two and in to Rooney's path. The England striker smashes the ball to Robinson's right, giving the keeper no chance.
    • 22' Kuszczak almost punches Nani's lights out as he goes to clear the corner with a punch, but the home side are spared another corner as Howard Webb blows for an infringment elsewhere in the box.
    • 21' Nani pushing and shoving on Diouf on the Blackburn right-flank there, and it's a free kick that the visitors pump up the field... and earn a corner.
    • 19' Rafael Da Silva takes a dive under a mild push from Grella - get up yer sissy - but the ref doesn't like it and blows up for a foul.
    • 17' Man U are all over Blackburn: a great ball from Ronaldo gives Rooney and Berbatov chances to make contact and knock the ball in before Blackburn's Ryan Nelsen boots it clear.
    • 14' Blackburn cause some trouble for their hosts for the first time, playing a long ball up to a crowded box - but the ball is cut out well. Doesn't look like Kuszczak will have a lot to do tonight - just as well for us, since typing his name is a right pain.
    • 12' Great chance for Rooney as he comes through the middle and puts in a nice pass for Carrick, only to see Givet cut the pass out and make it safe. Paul Scholes has a pop from the resulting corner, but whips it wide.
    • 10' Ronaldo has another go at the Blackburn defence - he's everywhere tonight, really looks itching to score tonight.
    • 8' David Dunn chops down Ronaldo just over 30 yards out - it looked like he got a bit of the ball, but not enough for the ref's liking - and the be-gelled Portguese star has a free-kick... which he wallops straight into the wall.
    • 7' It's a strangely low-key start to the game: there's almost an atmosphere of hopelessness about Blackburn's cause, as if they're just a new set of people for the men in red to put balls past.
    • 5' Nice move from United, with Ronaldo switching to the left and taunting the Blackburn defence with his footwork before lifting a loopy cross-shot hybrid over the top right corner.
    • 3' Paul Scholes enjoys the first chance of the match for Man U, coming through the centre of the pitch and hitting a good right-foot shot just wide of the right post.
    • 1' We've kicked off here at Old Trafford, and it should be a great game. Nani is playing on the left for United from the start.
    • - Wonder if he's at home, secretly hoping that this might be the day the normally-solid back four have a nightmare...
    • - Van de Sar is being rested with the upcoming fixture congestion in mind - he'll have to wait a bit longer to extend that record.
    • - Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Nelsen, Givet, Warnock, Grella, Diouf, Andrews, Dunn, Pedersen, Roque Santa Cruz. Subs: Brown, Kerimoglu, McCarthy, Khizanishvili, Mokoena, Treacy, Roberts
    • - Here we go: Man Utd: Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Nani, Rooney, Berbatov. Subs: Foster, Giggs, Vidic, Welbeck, Fabio Da Silva, Fletcher, Tevez
    • - We're just getting the teams through now - some big surprises and changes, details in a second.
    • - Welcome to our LIVE coverage of Manchester United v Blackburn at Old Trafford.

  • Team Stats

    Manchester United Stats Blackburn Rovers
    65% Possession 34%
    16 Shots 15
    3 Shots on target 3
    2 Saves 1
    4 Corners 6
    21 Fouls 7
    1 Offsides 1
    2 Yellow cards 2
    0 Red cards 0
    15 Tackles 16
    435 Accurate passes 185
    82 Bad passes 45

  • Player Stats

    G =
    Goals
    S =
    Shots
    SoT =
    Shot on Target
    F =
    Fouls
    FW =
    Fouls Won
    O =
    Offsides
    A =
    Assists
    AP =
    Accurate Passes
    BP =
    Bad Passes
    T =
    Tackles
    • Manchester United
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      29 Tomasz Kuszczak 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 6 0 0
      5 Rio Ferdinand 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 45 3 2
      3 Patrice Evra 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 43 22 2
      21 Rafael Pereira da Silva 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 36 0 4
      23 Jonny Evans 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 54 12 1
      18 Paul Scholes 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 59 12 1
      16 Michael Carrick 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 64 9 1
      7 Cristiano Ronaldo 1 5 2 3 4 0 0 30 3 0
      17 Luís Almeida da Cunha 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 17 5 1
      9 Dimitar Berbatov 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 30 6 0
      10 Wayne Rooney 1 5 1 0 3 1 0 21 5 1
      15 Nemanja Vidic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 3 0
      32 Carlos Tevez 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 8 1 1
      12 Ben Foster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      24 Darren Fletcher 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      11 Ryan Giggs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 1
      20 Fabio Pereira da Silva 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      19 Danny Welbeck 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    • Blackburn Rovers
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Paul Robinson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 3 0
      6 Ryan Nelsen 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 19 0 1
      3 Stephen Warnock 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 19 9 2
      2 Andre Ooijer 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 17 0 1
      21 Gaël Givet 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 13 3 4
      11 Vincenzo Grella 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 19 3 1
      17 Keith Andrews 0 1 1 4 0 0 0 20 0 1
      12 Morten Gamst Pedersen 0 3 0 1 1 1 0 14 9 1
      8 David Dunn 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 6 5 1
      9 Roque Santa Cruz 1 1 1 4 1 0 0 15 6 1
      18 El Hadji Diouf 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 15 2 2
      13 Zurab Khizanishvili 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      32 Jason Brown 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      10 Benedict McCarthy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0
      30 Jason Roberts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      5 Kerimoglou Tugay 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 16 3 1
      24 Keith Treacy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0
      15 Aaron Mokoena 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

  • Summary

    • 90' Rooney runs half the pitch and has another go at goal-of-the-month, but his shot drifts well wide.
    • 87' Rooney feeds a great shot to Berbatov - WHO HEADS TO THE TOP CORNER, BUT IT'S SAVED! That really should have been 3-1 and game over for United.
    • 66' PEANLTY TO BLACKBURN, SURELY! But it's not given! Pedersen goes down in the box while through on goal, but the referee decides that the grabbing hands of Evra played no part in him falling. That seems incredibly harsh on the Blackburn man - he was through, why would he dive?
    • 59' Keith Andrews booked for a challenge on Nani, and it's a free kick on the edge of the box AND RONALDO SCORES!!!! AN AMAZING FREE KICK RIGHT INTO THE ROOF OF THE NET! It was an amazing shot from a tight angle, and Ronaldo shows why he's the best - just a minute after showing why people have such mixed feelings about him.
    • 58' Blackburn charge up the other end of the pitch - first Pedersen shoots well and it's saved, but in the very next wave the Scandinavian tries again AND HITS THE POST! SO COLSE TO TAKING THE LEAD FOR BLACKBURN!
    • 48' Amazingly, Blackburn come right up the other end and come within a whisker of scoring themselves! A lovely move on the break up the left leads to the ball coming in - but none of the two Blackburn players can get on the end of it.
    • 46' The game restarts brightly for United - and GREAT EFFORT FROM RONALDO! The winger hits a lovely 25-yard shot that looks good, but is never on target.
    • 45' Jonny Evans jumps high to head a Nani cross - AND SCORES - ONLY NO, HE DOESN'T! He's penalised instead for a fairly minor-looking push. Still 1-1.
    • 32' AN EQUALISER FOR BLACKBURN!!! It's Roque Santa Cruz who scores, rounding the keeper after getting on to the end of a long ball through before brilliantly slotting in a goal at a fine angle on the fly. Great finish from Santa Cruz...
    • 27' Another great chance for Man U, Ronaldo putting in a long, looping cross from the right which finds Nani at the far post. He just doesn't have enough time to pass to the waiting Rooney, and the attack is snuffed out by Diouf charging back into defence.
    • 25' Ronaldo very nearly makes it two, cutting in from the right and hitting a left-foot shot - but he doesn't quite connect, and the ball goes straight at the keeper.
    • 23' GOAL FOR ROOOOOONNEEEY!!!! A brilliant, low, skidding cross from Nani on the right curls right into the path of Rooney and his marker Ryan Nelsen. Nelsen stretches out and gets a foot to the ball, but only succeeds in nudging it on a foot or two and in to Rooney's path. The England striker smashes the ball to Robinson's right, giving the keeper no chance.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Howard Webb

  • Manchester United

    Manager: Alex Ferguson

    Captain: Rio Ferdinand

    Starting line-up

    • T. Kuszczak
    • R. Da Silva
    • R. Ferdinand
    • J. Evans Substitution Out (60′)
    • P. Evra
    • C. Ronaldo Goal Yellow Card
    • M. Carrick
    • P. Scholes Substitution Out (82′)
    • .. Nani Substitution Out (60′)
    • W. Rooney Goal
    • D. Berbatov

    Subs

    • R. Giggs Substitution In82′
    • D. Fletcher
    • C. Tevez Substitution In60′
    • N. Vidic Substitution In60′
    • B. Foster
    • D. Welbeck
    • F. Da Silva

    Injured

    • O. Hargreaves
    • O. Anderson

    Suspended

    None

  • Blackburn Rovers

    Manager: Sam Allardyce

    Captain: Ryan Nelsen

    Starting line-up

    • P. Robinson
    • A. Ooijer
    • R. Nelsen
    • G. Givet
    • S. Warnock
    • V. Grella
    • E. Diouf Substitution Out (82′)
    • K. Andrews Yellow Card
    • D. Dunn Substitution Out (74′)
    • M. Pedersen
    • R. Santa Cruz Goal

    Subs

    • K. Tugay Substitution In74′
    • B. McCarthy
    • J. Roberts
    • A. Mokoena
    • Z. Khizanishvili
    • J. Brown
    • K. Treacy

    Injured

    • B. Emerton
    • S. Reid

    Suspended

    • D. Simpson

Comment 1013 - 1032 of 1032

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. man u win

    From raha9799, on Wed 11 Mar 6:20PM

  2. man u rock ta wil win

    From raha9799, on Mon 2 Mar 4:21PM

  3. CITY WONT BEAT UNITED AGAIN...KEEP ON DREAMING...U WILL­ BE LUCKY TO WIN AN EGG CUP IN THE NEXT 50YEARS

    From yamaha_teos, on Fri 27 Feb 5:34PM

  4. IF VILLA PLAY BETTER THAN MAN UTD,HOW COME THEY AINT­ BEAT THEM THTS SEASON,YOU MIDLANDERS WONT WIN OWT­ AGAIN....KEEP ON DREAMING

    From yamaha_teos, on Fri 27 Feb 5:30PM

  5. top of the league la la la la!

    From starbowes, on Thu 26 Feb 8:13AM

  6. top of the league la la la la!

    From starbowes, on Thu 26 Feb 8:11AM

  7. man u get all the easy teams

    From colin08rfc, on Wed 25 Feb 5:36PM

  8. as i always say man united is always a wining team that­ is it for now.

    From samson, on Mon 23 Feb 9:53AM

  9. its a victory!real it is!!Many should start to beleave­ that ManU is the best team in the World.BIG UP­ FURG,Rolnado,Rooney AND manU AS WHOLE.no team to stop u­ from Primier championship.

    From piason30, on Mon 23 Feb 6:23AM

  10. Man U!isue is'nt how one starts de race,but to­ finish de race First(No.1).Thats man U.KEEP IT ALWAYZ­ UP FURGIE,ROONIE,ROLNADIE and de­ restie!!!!!!!!!.I'm Yohane

    From piason30, on Mon 23 Feb 6:12AM

  11. manu are winners winn the last 3 matches

    From Ahmed, on Mon 23 Feb 6:05AM

  12. its a victory!real it is!!Many should start to beleave­ that ManU is the best team in the World.BIG UP­ FURG,Rolnado,Rooney AND manU AS WHOLE.no team to stop u­ from Primier championship.Its ua supporter-Mwampashi

    From piason30, on Mon 23 Feb 5:57AM

  13. man utd get a rough ride from most fans of other teams,­ but i'd just like to congratulate them on having­ the title all sewn up already, signed sealed and­ delivered!! great team and worthy champions. You've­ looked untouchable at times this season and play a­ great game. well done. p.s up the villa!!

    From Stench, on Sun 22 Feb 9:45PM

  14. Manchester United ForeveR

    From GeorgiG, on Sun 22 Feb 9:05PM

  15. -7 liverpool, -10 london(chelsea), stopped counting­ arsenal months ago , this is not a weather forecast it­ is the difference between MAN UTD and other loosers­ :D.
    Glory,glory MAN UTD

    From azramujkic, on Sun 22 Feb 8:58PM

  16. Coward Webb bottles it and gives the red @#$% another­ win they didn't deserve

    From malcolm.higgins1, on Sun 22 Feb 6:04PM

  17. manchester untied are rubbish team you have to lose

    From Laura, on Sun 22 Feb 5:37PM

  18. the best one is theatre of dreams more like theatre of­ queens ronaldo ponce

    From mickyboy, on Sun 22 Feb 5:15PM

  19. all you need is a cheat in your team???????

    From tozz1e, on Sun 22 Feb 3:22PM

  20. villa 4 the league then lol dont be silly

    From gerrard o, on Sun 22 Feb 2:20PM
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