Wayne Rooney’s first Manchester United hat-trick in three years inspired the champions to a 4-1 win over Portsmouth and reduced Chelsea’s lead at the top of the Premier League to two points.
Rooney, whose last treble in a red shirt was during a 4-0 win at Bolton in October 2006, converted two penalties either side of a fine finish from a Ryan Giggs pass as United ensured Avram Grant’s first match in charge of Pompey ended in defeat.
Ferguson made eight changes from the side which lost to Besiktas, among which, was the forced inclusion of Tomasz Kuszczak for his first Premier League start of the season as Edwin Van der Sar was unable to travel.
PHOTO: REUTERS
An early Rooney foray down the left-hand side caught Younes Kaboul off-balance but the French defender did enough to put him off his stride as he progressed toward the by-line.
United continued to stretch the home defense and a corner by Giggs was rolled into Paul Scholes on the edge of the penalty area but the midfielder’s first-time drive was placed a yard over Asmir Begovic’s crossbar.
With both sides pressing forward in an entertaining opening it was United who grabbed the lead. Rooney played a one-two with Antonio Valencia and as the United striker moved away from goal found his heel clipped by Michael Brown.
There was a degree of protest from the Portsmouth players on the legitimacy of Mike Dean’s decision but Rooney converted the penalty high above Asmir Begovic’s right-hand.
If there was some debate about United’s penalty, the whole of Fratton Park stood in bemusement as the home side were awarded their own spot-kick eight minutes later, assistant Simon Beck having apparently caught Nemanja Vidic tugging Frederic Piquionne’s shirt as he challenged Kuszczak.
The decision looked harsh but Kevin-Prince Boateng drove the penalty under Kuszczak’s right arm and the contest was all square.
Portsmouth could even have found themselves in-front going in at half-time, Dindane having connected with Boateng’s cross only to place his header wide.
Two minutes into the second half Giggs picked out Rooney who converted from close range.
The three points were secured six minutes later as Giggs and Piquionne battled on the by-line. The Frenchman looked in control but allowed Giggs to steal the ball and then compounded his initial error by tripping the United player.
Rooney made sure driving low to Begovic’s left.
Begovic was then forced to dive low to his near post to keep out a Giggs drive but the veteran was not to be denied and there was little Pompey’s Bosnian goalkeeper could do about the 20-yard free-kick he swung into the corner with three minutes left.
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