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Everton 0 United 1: Chicharito Strike Enough On Merseyside

A poacher’s finish from Javier Hernandez proved the difference in a tense encounter at Goodison Park as Manchester United put aside the disappointment that was the Manchester Derby by getting a win over Everton.

The game got off to a great start with Seamus Coleman forcing David De Gea into a save after 18 seconds with a shot before Park Ji-Sung forced former-Red Tim Howard into a great reaction save after nine minutes following a good ball back into the area by Danny Welbeck.

United were beginning to grab hold of the game and after a good spell of pressure took the lead on 19 minutes when good combination play from Tom Cleverley and Welbeck helped spread the ball out to Patrice Evra who beat his marker and put in a ball into the area that Everton’s defence couldn’t deal with, allowing Hernandez to tap the ball into the near post for his fourth goal of the season.

It was a great start and one that United needed, after all this match had been billed as a ‘must-win’ game for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side who simply couldn’t avoid dropping any more points behind Manchester City even at this early stage of the season.

Everton to their credit didn’t let their heads go down after conceding early and rallied giving their fans hope of an equaliser before half-time. De Gea was forced into saving from Leon Osman before the talented Jack Rodwell shot wide from fully 25 yards out with the Spanish keeper happily watching the ball sail comfortably wide of the post.

On the brink of half-time Everton came desperately close to getting an equaliser when a delicate free-kick by Leighton Baines came back off the bar with De Gea well beaten. Whilst it was abit of bad luck on Everton’s part, the decision made by referee Mark Halsey to award the free-kick in the first place was a strange one as Marouane Felliani was the one tugging Darren Fletcher to get the ball not the other way round. So maybe it was only right that United went into half-time ahead.

After the interval the hosts kept pressing but United’s defence looked steady and with De Gea looking comfortable dealing with crosses looked in firm control. The highly talented Ross Barkley certainly made an impression and showed in glimpses why he is being touted as one of English football’s next great young talents.

Cleverley, a player who has currently been playing with that tag on his shoulders for the last couple of seasons was taken of 10 minutes into the half as a precaution with his ankle injury with Nani coming on to replace him. Nani though despite starting the season in blistering form could not change the story of the game as Everton continued to control the ball.

Howard in goal only had once save to make after half-time tipping a Welbeck drive over the bar after the young England hitman had dealt brilliantly with Hernandez’s imaginative pass. Everton had one last rally to get an equaliser but United held on as De Gea again denied Coleman before Halsey waved away a penalty appeal when Royston Drenthe collided with Patrice Evra deep into injury-time.

United: De Gea, Evra, Vidic, Evans, Jones, Park, Cleverley (Nani), Fletcher, Welbeck (Valencia), Rooney, Hernandez (Berbatov)

Star Man

It wasn’t by any means a great United victory as Everton at times dominated the game, but for his goal it’s hard to argue against Javier Hernandez getting this award. He has a knack of only needing only one chance in a game to score. David Moyes will have told his defence not to give the little Mexican an inch of space, after all Chicharito did score the winner in a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford between the sides in the title run-in last year so he must be sick of the site of the Little Pea by now!

By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87

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