Premier League: Hull City 1-3 Manchester United

Published Dec. 27, 2009 at 7:20 p.m.

Wayne Rooney dominated even when he would have preferred not to do so. Having put Manchester United in front, he was at fault for the penalty with which a bold Hull City levelled.

The striker had so much to offer here that he soon corrected the damage he had done. At the end of a flowing move he drilled a low ball into the centre that Andy Dawson could not avoid turning into his own net after 73 minutes. Rooney also set up the third, from Dimitar Berbatov, as his side moved to within two points of the Premier League leaders, Chelsea.

This is meant to be the time of the year for tradition and the sight of both teams in 4-4-2 formation could have brought on a mood of nostalgia all by itself. The scene was old-fashioned, too, in its sense that a relatively small club could have as much stature, for one afternoon at least, as a Premier League potentate. Manchester United could not pull rank on Hull before the interval and might have returned to the dressing room in deficit rather than leading.

The deadlock, all the same, was broken with a piece of craft that did convey a sense of the accomplishment remaining in the ranks of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad, even if a great deal if virtuosity left when Cristiano Ronaldo departed for Real Madrid. The Portuguese himself would have been proud of Darren Fletcher's delivery from the right in first-half stoppage time that bounced towards the six-yard line. Ryan Giggs was a useful distraction at the near post as he verged on touching the ball, although it was Rooney who knocked home the cross.

The scorer, all the same, epitomised a match in which nobody could maintain mastery for long. He inexplicably aimed a passback into his penalty area and put Craig Fagan in possession. The striker lifted a high cross and the visitors' left-back Rafael barged Jozy Altidore from behind. Fagan converted the penalty with confidence and force in the 60th minute.

Hull had always carried threat and the visitors' goalkeeper, Tomasz Kuszczak, dealt well with a Seyi Olofinjana shot in the first half although he should also have faced a penalty. The referee, Alan Wiley, did not spot Wes Brown's contact on Richard Garcia after 23 minutes. Against a side of United's standing, Hull could not afford such ill luck.

• Premier League
• Hull City
• Manchester United

Kevin McCarra
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