Man Utd 3-0 Everton

Last updated : 22 November 2009 By Les Roberts

Not just because we get webbed every time we go there.

Not just because all the pubs around the ground have bouncers on - frigging bouncers - that charge you to go in for a bevvy...you have to pay just to get in to the Old Trafford pubs.

Not just because those same bouncers check your ticket then send you to a pub they say is the away fans pub and when you walk in it's something out of The Firm - complete with 1980's zig-zag wallpaper - but the knuckle draggers in there are also singing Hillsborough songs amongst their repetoire of anti-scouse dirges!

And not just because every fucker in there seems to have a digital camera to hand that they whip out with alarming frequency to capture every moment at the Theatre of fucking Dreams.

No, I simply hate Old Trafford because Man United play there!

Anyway, rant aside and this result had an air of inevitibility about it that only an encounter between these two sides can have!

United had all of the early possession but never really threatened Tim Howard in Everton's goal thanks to a combination of stubborn defending by the Blues and some wayward finishing from United.

Half an hour had gone by and the score was still nil nil and things were looking good for the Blues as we'd soaked up all the United pressure and were beginning to get a foot hold in the game.

Then Darren Fletcher hit the shot of his life and the Everton end collectively sank.

There didn't appear to be too much danger as Ryan Giggs' cross was headed out of the Everton area by United's Antonio Valencia - particularly as the ball was only going to fall to Darren Fletcher and he's not known for his Mark Hughes style volleys....oh piss off!

Sure enough, Fletcher hit sweet a volley as you'll ever see, right into the top corner, and United went into the interval one up.

Everton started the second half well, with Yakubu joining Louis Saha up front, but for all the fresh attacking impetus the Blues were restricted to a couple of wayward efforts from the two strikers.

Tim Cahill was then played in after a neat one-two with Yakubu but the Australian couldn't quite reach the ball before the onrushing Edwin van der Sar and the chance went begging.

But the signs were good as Everton, far from performing their usual capitulation, were taking the game to United who, as in the first half, failed to really trouble Tim Howard.

That was until Wayned Rooney hit a dog, no, a ball bag, no, a twat of a shot - let's be blunt about this - that was headed out for a throw in but fell to Ryan Giggs on it's way to the touchline.

The Welshman played a great ball to the onrushing Michael Carrick who side footed an effort past Tim Howard to double United's lead.

If anyone in the Everton end thought that we might still be in with a shout, and if they did they didn't let it show, then their blind optimism will have vanished as United added a fortunate third ten minutes later.

Paul Scholes - one of the snidest players ever to pull on a shirt, look at his eyes for Christ's sake - slid the ball through to Valencia whose poor shot was headed straight for Tim Howard before it hit the outstretched leg of Leighton Baines and looped over the Everton 'keeper.

All that was left was for Marouane Fellaini, who had his best game in ages, to head a clear cut chance over the bar - we don't even get consolation goals at Old Trafford.

And so, once again, Evertonians left Old Trafford dejected by another defeat and that leaves us with just one win in nine with Hull away and that lot from across the park up next!