Match Report - Hull City 1-3 Manchester United

Competition: FA Barclays Premier League
Kick-Off & Date: 4pm, Sunday 27th December
Venue: KC Stadium (Hull City)
Attendance: 24,627 


Wayne Rooney had involvement in all four goals at the KC Stadium, in a scrappy, yet entertaining United performance.

United handed Hull ton's of possession with sloppy passes and lack of concentration, however Wayne Rooney opened the scoring seconds before half-time with a simple tap-in from a fantastic cross by Fletcher. The Tiger's came back after half-time with a controversial penalty, after a sloppy pass by Rooney, the spot-kick given by Fergie's 'unfit' arch enemy - Ref. Alan Wiley. But Rooney made-up with a drilled cross, turned into the net by Andy Dawson - before Berbatov got on the end of a fabulous Rooney cross.

The Red Devils needed all three points after a 3-0 rout by Arsenal, at home to Villa - which put them in second spot, and Hull was a good opportunity to make-up lost ground and come within 2 points of leaders Chelsea, who stumbled to Birmingham with a 0-0 draw on Saturday.

However, United started out poorly with passes going astray and a lack of confidence in-front of goal. The defence looked a bit better with Rafael Da Silva, Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown all back and fit to join a lonesome Patrice Evra. Hull's keeper 'Myhill' had some mistakes in goal but none were threatening enough to penetrate the goal itself.

A trademark Giggs free-kick curled around the outside of the post, before a 30-yard strike was powerfully saved by Kuszczak. Rafael then came close to scoring, but it was palmed away by Myhill, as Berbatov failed to score the re-bound. At last, seconds before the half-time whistle blew, Darren Fletcher executed a mouth-watering cross parallel with the goals, Giggs' flick found Rooney, and he gracefully tapped it home.     

In the second half Rooney was at fault for a silly back-pass to Kuszczak which instead found Fagan who crossed it to Altidore, he went down rather easily under a Rafael challenge at the back post. Rafael was booked and Craig Fagan converted the spot-kick.  

Myhill was again called into action, this time from Michael Carrick. Then, after a Hull attack - United broke, with Giggs down the flank, who fed Rooney a pass, Rooney drilled in a cross to find Park but before Park could get to it Andy Dawson turned it into his own net.

United searched for the killer goal, and oh yes Rooney was involved yet again. Rooney broke down the wing and crossed it beautifully to Berbatov, who could only score, and thank Wayne Rooney !

The scoreline didn't reflect The Devils shaky performance, but in the end it was a 'job sort-of well done'.