Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
Sir Alex Ferguson described losing to Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford as a disaster and that’s exactly what it was as United succumbed at home to the bottom-placed team in the Premier League after a lacklustre performance.
United started the game brightly with Antonio Valencia looking a threat down the right hand side. With Wayne Rooney absent Javier Hernandez was leading from the front alongside Dimitar Berbatov who of course scored five goals in this encounter in the league last season.
Teams at the bottom always have a knack of having to work harder to grind out results but Blackburn were gifted the lead after 15 minutes as two defensive howlers combined to gift Steve Kean’s side the lead.
Patrice Evra gave away a needless free-kick.fouling Mauro Formica just inside Blackburn’s half. The ball was delivered into the box by Mark Bunn to Christopher Samba who went down in the area after having his shirt tugged by Berbatov.
It was six of one and half a dozen of the other but referee Mike Dean awarded a penalty which Yakubu tucked away for his 11th goal of the season. The goal came completely against the run of play and United never recovered from it.
United were just not able to test Bunn enough in the first half and the visitors much to the shock of everybody inside Old Trafford deservedly took a lead going into half-time on a ground where they had not won since September 2005.
It got worse for United on 51 minutes as Blackburn doubled the lead. A throw-in by Adam Henley wasn’t dealt with by United’s defence with Michael Carrick’s unlucky clearance falling straight into the path of Yakubu who skipped past Phil Jones before burying the ball in under De Gea.
Blackburn’s fans were in delirium, after all their side were 2-0 up at Old Trafford. Their joy wouldn’t last as 21 seconds later United hit back with Berbatov heading in Rafael’s cross at the near post. It was the in-form Bulgarian’s fifth goal in three games.
With the momentum clearly back in their favour, United began to seize back control of the game and on 62 minutes were level with Berbatov finishing well from a Valencia cross. With Anderson on for a subdue Hernandez, a winner to complete the comeback seemed inevitable.
Blackburn were now defending as if their lives depended on it and despite Valencia blazing narrowly over the bar, but they rocked Old Trafford thanks to Grant Hanley heading home a Morten Gamst Pedersen corner at the second attempt after winning an aerial fight with De Gea.
United pushed to get an equaliser but Kean’s side held onto secure a famous victory that could well turn their season around. It was hardly the birthday present that Sir Alex was hoping for from his team on his 70th and one that could prove costly come the end of the season
United: De Gea, Evra, Carrick, Jones, Valencia, Welbeck, Park (Keane), Rafael, Nani, Hernandez (Anderson), Berbatov.
Star Man
Guess who’s back? back again. Well you don’t have to guess because Yakubu the goalscoring sensation from 2004-2008 is back it seems for good. The Nigerian led the line well up front for Rovers and tracked back well. He kept his cool for the penalty and his second was a brilliant finish that shows why many fans and pundits believe he could score 20 league goals this season.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
