Southampton (0) 0 Manchester United (1) 3
Yorke 11, Cole 59, Cruyff 74.
Southampton: Jones, Warner, Benali, Palmer, Monkou, Lundekvam
(Gibbens 55), Howells, Ripley (Beattie 63), Ostenstad, Le Tissier, Bridge.
Subs not used:Hiley, Basham, Moss.
Booked:Palmer.
Manchester United: Van Der Gouw, P. Neville, Stam, G. Neville, Irwin
(Brown 78), Beckham, Keane, Butt, Yorke (Cruyff 72), Cole, Blomqvist
(Sheringham 72).
Subs not used: Berg, Solskjaer.
Booked: Keane.
Att: 15251
Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill)
Southampton (0) 0 Manchester United (1) 3
FOR the first time in four seasons, the
Dell held no demons for Manchester
United yesterday. At the cramped, south
coast ground, where losing had started to
become something of a costly habit for
the northern giants, United gradually
squeezed the life out of a Southampton
side already gasping for air at the bottom
of the Premiership.
Goals from Dwight Yorke and Andy
Cole, who thrived as a partnership in only their second outing together, laid
the foundations for United's first win here for five years, then Jordi Cruyff
clinched it with a spectacular third. Cruyff's lively performance as a
second-half substitute was one of several that offered United consolation for
their vexing and tiring trip to Munich in midweek.
Before the game, the Dell was awash with statistics, more of them
unfavourable to United than usual. Three defeats on the trot here, 10 goals
conceded and only four scored, for instance. They are still talking in these
parts about that 6-3 win of Southampton's two seasons ago, when United
manager Alex Ferguson blamed his team's away strip of grey for the
dŽb‰cle and changed the shirts at half-time.
But the home side could show little form to suggest they were capable of
extending that successful run against United. With only one point from their
first seven League games, and 18 goals conceded, it sounded suspiciously
like a bit of whistling in the dark when manager David Jones said in his
programme notes that his team had shown definite signs of gelling as a unit at
West Ham during the week.
Still, there was encouragement for Southampton in the absence of some big
names from the United line-up. Ryan Giggs and Ronny Johnsen were still
unavailable because of injury, while Peter Schmeichel and Paul Scholes had
picked up injuries in the disappointing Champions' League draw away to
Bayern Munich. Ferguson also chose to replace Teddy Sheringham with
Cole.
Southampton were not at full strength, either, since suspension prevented
Mark Hughes from making an appearance against his old club. Even without
'Sparky', though, the Saints nearly made an electrifying start, David Howells
sending a free header wide from a marvellously accurate centre by Egil
Ostenstad after just a minute's play.
Howells had reason to rue that bad miss when United - men in black, this
time - took the lead 10 minutes later. It was not a pretty goal, the ball
trickling slowly over the line after Yorke had stuck out a hopeful leg and
diverted Cole's low, curving centre from the left wide of the stranded
Southampton goalkeeper, Paul Jones.
It was also a landmark for United in that, remarkably, it was the first they
had scored on their travels this season. As for Yorke himself, he could take
great satisfaction from the fact that it took his total to five goals in the couple
of months since United paid Aston Villa £12.6 million for his services.
Southampton responded vigorously enough, Raimond van der Gouw tipping
a long-range shot from Howells over the bar after Jaap Stam had hacked a
Matthew Le Tissier shot out beyond the penalty area. Jesper Blomqvist was
becoming a real danger to the Saints on the left, however, and the home side
were relieved to see Yorke's diving header go wide when the Swedish
winger picked him out with a centre.
There was a real bite to some of the tackling, as Carlton Palmer showed by
catching Denis Irwin painfully and late after 38 minutes for the second time in
the first half. To his credit, Irwin, who had needed treatment after the first
tackle, did not make a fuss. Nevertheless, the referee, David Elleray, rightly
showed Palmer the yellow card.
United began the second half with a sense of purpose. Only five minutes
after the restart, Nicky Butt slipped a lovely through pass into the path of
Roy Keane and the home fans held their breath as the Irishman's rasping
shot flew across the face of goal and wide of the far post.
It was fully deserved when United increased their lead on the hour. David
Beckham found Blomqvist with a pass the Swede turned into a storming run
past two opponents. Finally, he laid the ball off to Cole, who calmly curled a
shot round Jones and into the net.
By then, Palmer was playing in central defence because Claus Lundekvam
had been helped off the field with a leg injury. The former England
international was replaced by Kevin Gibbens in midfield, and the changes
can hardly be said to have improved Southampton's prospects.
Southampton's worst fears were confirmed after 74 minutes, when United
virtually assured themselves of victory with another delightful goal. The move
was started and finished by Cruyff, who had come on for Blomqvist.
Having carried the ball 30 or 40 yards on a run deep into the Southampton
half, Cruyff set up Cole for a shot that Jones beat out to the edge of the
penalty area. Unfortunately for the goalkeeper, the ball went straight back to
Cruyff, who met it with an accurate, first-time volley.