Ronaldo Breaks Best Record As United Go Three Points Clear
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Manchester United 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
Manchester United moved three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League with a clinical victory over relegation-haunted Bolton Wanderers. It was another outstanding performance in a glittering season for Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted both first-half goals - the second a trademark free-kick - with compatriot Nani also impressive for the defending champions.
Bolton, who twice had the ball in the net, only to have both efforts disallowed, had a good second-half and showed enough to suggest they might be able to battle clear of the drop. But at Old Trafford they were simply not good enough to take any points off the Premier League leaders.
Ronaldo was named captain for the night as United manager Sir Alex Ferguson made seven changes from the side that narrowly defeated Derby County at the weekend.
Wayne Rooney was on the bench, with Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs rested completely as Ferguson flaunted to his rivals the strength in depth of the squad at his disposal.
Goalkeeper Ben Foster's hopes of retaining his place after impressing on his United debut against Derby were thwarted as Tomasz Kuszczak, his suspension served, was brought back.
Bolton manager Gary Megson made four changes from their morale-sapping defeat at Wigan on Sunday. Abdoulaye Meite, Gavin McCann, Joey O'Brien and Danny Guthrie came in for Kevin Nolan and Gary Cahill, both injured, with Ivan Campo and Tamir Cohen both dropped.
After only two minutes the decision to recall Kuszczak looked rash as the Pole sliced his clearance, but was lucky enough to have Nemanja Vidic on hand to clear the danger.
However, the pattern of the early play - indeed almost the whole of the first-half - was one of Manchester United dominance, the Red Devils keeping possession with ease.
On eight minutes, Carlos Tevez was played through one-on-one with Al Habsi by Louis Saha, and rounded the Bolton keeper, only for Gardner to race across and clear the ball for a corner.
A minute later, United took the lea. Nani's corner from the right found Ronaldo after a scramble in the Bolton penalty area., and the Portuguese winger made no mistake with a powerful shot from eight yards that gave Al Habsi no hance.
United continued to keep possession at willing, and looked certain to add to their score. Nani cut in from the left and fired a powerful shot just over the bar from 25 yards.
At the other end, Bolton briefly threatened when Gutherie's cross from the right wing was met by Kevin Davies, whose well-struck volley was turned away by Kuszczak.
But on 19 minutes, Ronaldo won a free-kick in a shooting position after being fouled by Abdoulaye Meite, and fired in a swerving shot from 25 yards that again left Al Habsi with no chance as it flew past him into the net for another stunning goal.
His second goal of the night was Ronaldo's 23rd Premier League goal of the season and his 33rd goal of the campaign in all competitions, taking him past the record set by George Best in 1968 of 32 goals in a single season by a winger.
Matty Taylor sent in a half-volley from the edge of the United area but it bounced down into the the ground and up into the arms of Kuszczak.
But although Bolton were beginning to enjoy a little of possession of their own, they could make no real headway.
And U nited soon underlined their superiority again when Nani's corner from the left was headed towards the far corner of the net by Vidic, only for Gutherie to clear it off the line.
Ten minutes before half-time, Tevez danced his way past several Bolton defenders but then shot straight at Al Habsi, before Nani sent a powerful effort narrowly over the bar from just inside the area.
After the break, with Megson introducing Nicky Hunt for Meite and Steinsson switching to the centre of defence, Bolton fought their way back into the game with a good spell of pressure. After Al Habsi saved well from Nani, Hunt dispossessed the Portuguese youngster with aplomb as he teried to run onto Ronaldo's through-ball, and then Nani again blocked Taylor's effort from 30 yards as Bolton retaliated.
Eleven minutes into the second period, Pique conceded a free-kick on the edge of the United area when he controlled the ball with his hand, and El-Hadji Diouf ehipped the free-kick in early, beyond Kuszczak and into the back of the net. However, the referee ordered the visitors to take it again as he hadn't blown his whistle. Diouf's second attempt was comfortably saved by Kuszczak and frustrated Bolton had seen their best chance of a goal disappear.
However, Davies appealed for a penalty when he tumbled in the area under Tevez's clumsy challenge, but the ref waved play-on. Then, on the hour mark, Hunt's half-volley from 35 yards was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Kuszczak.
Gavin McCann's drive from 25 yards was turned round his left hand post for another corner by the suddenly busy - and effective - Kuszczak, as Bolton found themselves bossing proceedings.
But the tide began to turn back in United's favour when no breakthrough came, and Ronaldo was denied a hat-trick when his drive from just inside the Bolton area was superbly turned away by Al Habsi, enjoying a fine game in Jaaskelainen's absence.
Rooney and Scholes came on for Manchester United in place of Saha, who had largely disappointed, and Anderson, who had been hard-working and effective.
Nani turned Gardner on the edge of the box and fired in a shot that flew narrowly over, before Tevez controlled Rooney's pin-point pass but sliced his shot wide of Al Habsi's left hand post from close-range.
In the final minute, Diouf's free-kick from the left found its way to Bolton substitute Stelios Giiannakopoulos, who took the ball round Kuszczak and passed it into the empty net, only for referee Alan Wiley to judge that Taylor had pushed Pique in the build-up, and disallow the goal.
So the game ended with United three points better off than Arsenal and looking ominously comfortable at the top, while Bolton remain in the bottom three.
Teams
Man Utd: Kuszczak, Fletcher, Pique, Vidic, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Anderson, Nani, Saha, Tevez.
Subs: Foster, Evra, Brown, Rooney, Scholes
Bolton: Al Habsi, Steinsson, Meite, Andrew O'Brien, Gardner, Diouf, McCann, Guthrie, Joey O'Brien, Taylor, Davies.
Subs: Walker, Hunt, Giannakopoulos, Campo, Rasiak
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)