Manchester - Robin Van Persie scored the quickest Barclays Premier League goal of the season as Manchester United finally broke their habit of going behind in spectacular style at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
Sam Allardyce’s West Ham side hardly knew what hit them, as Van Persie eased his way past Winston Reid with a smart turn and beat Jussi Jaaskelainen with a deflected shot for a goal that was officially timed at 31 seconds. Ahead of the game Sir Alex Ferguson had urged his players to score first for once, after admitting his nerves were struggling to cope with the way United had gone behind in nine of their 13 Barclays Premier League games before this.
The United manager has grown accustomed to his orders being heeded but could hardly have expected the latest to be carried out in quite such dramatic style. West Ham had barely had time to think about an attack on United’s goal, let alone launch one, when Van Persie displayed all the predatory instincts that made him Ferguson’s top summer transfer target.
A fiercely drilled through ball from Michael Carrick was brought to a standstill by the striker’s instant control, and a clever turn shook off one of his two markers. Reid was left floundering as the ball was dinked over him, and if there was an element of luck about the way Van Persie’s shot clipped off James Collins and looped over a stranded Jaaskelainen West Ham could hardly complain.
Fortune favours the brave, and the former Arsenal forward’s 12th goal of the season was due reward for a player willing to back himself to score from any distance and in any circumstances.
He had his back to goal and was being tightly marked when Carrick’s heavy pass reached him, yet neither obstacle was going to deter him from extending an already-impressive goals return.Less reassuringly for Ferguson, United soon reverted to a familiar pattern of monopolising possession without scoring another.
For all the attacking strings to their bow, with Van Persie and Javier Hernandez operating in tandem up front and Wayne Rooney prowling just behind, clear-cut chances were in short supply in a low-key first half. Hernandez was making a rare start but did little to dispel the theory he may be best suited to an impact role from the bench, after surging clear down the right in the 17th minute.
A pass across the edge of the area to Van Persie looked the obvious option, but Hernandez ignored it as he took aim from the corner of the box and sliced a shot woefully wide. The United poacher at least found his range in the 29th minute, with a low curling effort from the edge of the area that seemed destined for the bottom corner until Jaaskelainen flung himself into a sprawling full-length save.
With such a slender lead, United could never consider themselves comfortable, and West Ham threatened an equaliser more than once.Manager Allardyce will certainly have wanted to erase the memory of his last visit to Old Trafford, in November 2010 when Blackburn were hammered 7-1.Andy Carroll drew howls of derision with from a gloating Stretford End when he miscued an early chance and saw it bobble wide, but there was a different response when he tried his luck again in the 27th minute.
Unted’s defence struggled to cope with a Collins free-kick, and, as the ball broke free, Carroll was on it in an instant to lash a first-time volley narrowly over. With skipper Kevin Nolan flicking a Matt Taylor free-kick into the side netting, there was a growing unease among the home support about United’s failure to add to Van Persie’s early breakthrough.
Mohamed Diame threatened an equaliser a minute after the break, as he forced his way into the area on the left and hit a shot that was deflected over.It underlined the need for a second United goal to ease any nerves in the home camp, and the point was not lost on Ferguson’s players as they stepped up their efforts to find one.
When Rooney had a shot blocked on the edge of the area, Van Persie teed up Tom Cleverley for a rasping first-time half-volley that cleared the bar by the narrowest of margins. It appeared to be helped on its way by the fingertips of Jaaskelainen but, to the dismay of United’s players, referee Mike Jones awarded a goal-kick.
However, there was no mistaking Jaaskelainen’s intervention soon after, following another purposeful United attack. Cleverley rolled a pass into Rooney’s path, and the striker’s curling shot was arcing into the far corner until the West Ham keeper’s outstretched left hand turned it aside.To United’s relief, though, Van Persie’s strike proved enough.
Daily Mail