United stun Everton with rousing finale
Manchester United's winning streak continued as three goals in a dramatic final four minutes ended the dogged resistance of Everton in the Old Trafford club's 3-0 English premier league victory on Monday.
Two strikes from Paul Scholes and a Ruud van Nistelrooy penalty -- the Dutch striker's sixth goal in as many games -- lifted Alex Ferguson's side to fourth in the table.
They are six points behind double winners and league leaders Arsenal, and four points behind second-placed Liverpool with Middlesbrough in third.
It looked as though United, who have now won their last six matches in all competitions, were going to endure a night of frustration as they spurned a host of chances before David Beckham clipped the crossbar with a delicate chip.
But, with time running out, Scholes rammed home from 10 metres after Everton's defence failed to deal with a Ryan Giggs raid.
Three minutes later, Everton defender David Weir was sent off for hauling down Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the penalty area and Van Nistelrooy clinically dispatched the resulting spot kick past keeper Richard Wright.
Scholes put the icing on the cake with a blistering drive from 25 metres that arrowed past Wright and into his top right hand corner.
"We needed patience, but also determination because our finishing wasn't great," Ferguson said afterwards.
"We frittered away so many chances and that kept them in the game. Every time they attacked in the last 20 minutes it was a real threat."
HOME TEMPO
United set the tempo throughout, but rarely forced Wright into action.
Van Nistelrooy, passed fit after recovering from a hamstring injury, should have added to his tally early on.
Giggs' header sent Van Nistelrooy clear down the left, but his curling right foot shot sailed just wide of the post.
Beckham bobbled a shot wide of goal and Scholes' flick header was just off target as the home side began to dominate possession.
Yet it was the visitors who spurned the best chance of the half, six-goal striker Kevin Campbell failing to test Fabien Barthez from 18 metres after an incisive Everton move.
United welcomed back Gary Neville for the England defender's first premier league start since breaking a toe in April.
It was the Neville who produced an excellent cross early in the second half that saw Scholes and Van Nistelrooy get their wires crossed as another chance go begging
"It was a great game of football - one of the best we have had at Old Trafford for many a day," Ferguson said.
"That was the best Everton side that have been here for years and it really wasn't a 3-0 scoreline."
GROWING FRUSTRATION
Frustration was now the watchword as Ferguson looked for the three points that would keep United hanging on to the coat-tails of leaders Arsenal.
The United manager replaced the ineffective Juan Sebastian Veron with Solskjaer on the hour, and the Norwegian was inches away from converting Beckham's low cross with his first touch.
Sixteen-year-old Everton substitute Wayne Rooney almost became the youngest ever player to score a premier league goal with his side's best chance, as he raced past two defenders only for Barthez to smother his goalbound drive.
Tomas Radzinski fired another warning shot across the United bow with a snapshot that Barthez did well to save.
But the pressure on the Everton goal finally told as United produced a stirring finale to keep the pressure up on their title rivals.
Everton boss David Moyes, whose side drop one place to 12th, said they were shocked by the outcome after looking like earning a hard-fought point.
"We are devastated because we didn't feel we deserved that. We felt we contained them and for 86 minutes looked like getting a 0-0 draw," he said.
"The players deserve a pat on the back because they have done well, but I am in the business of winning football matches and I expected us to come here and get a result.
"We probably had the best chance through Wayne Rooney and defended well at the other end.
"I may get round to watching the whole match soon and reviewing the performance, but at the moment I am more concerned with what happened in the last four minutes."
