Van Persie Hits Goal as United Take Victory Over Fulham

Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa marked their home debuts with goals as Manchester United picked up their first points of the season with a 3-2 victory over Fulham, but Wayne Rooney suffered a potentially serious injury in the closing stages.
Sir Alex Ferguson produced a selection surprise as the United manager left Rooney on the bench and gave van Persie his first start in response to Monday’s surprise 1-0 defeat at Everton.

It looked a gamble when Damien Duff opened the scoring in the third minute but van Persie scored a first goal since his £24 million move from Arsenal and Japan midfielder Kagawa touched in from close-range to add a second.

Rafael headed in the third but Nemanja Vidic’s own goal halved the lead before Rooney was brought on for the final 22 minutes.

The England forward was clearly desperate to make an impression but instead finished the match stretchered off in agony after suffering a deep gash to his thigh when he attempted to block Hugo Rodallega’s stoppage-time effort.

Six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt was paraded on the pitch before the match with the home fans urging Ferguson to sign the Jamaican.

But the sprinter had not even reached his seat in the directors’ box when Fulham took a surprise lead.

Michael Carrick clipped Mladen Petric on the edge of the area and a Bryan Ruiz free-kick picked out Duff, who shrugged off Ashley Young, to turn a low short past David de Gea at the near post.

United immediately pressed for an equaliser but with van Persie dropping into deep and wide areas, there was no-one in the box when Kagawa fed Ashley Young, who put a fine cross into the area.

But after nine minutes, United pulled themselves level with van Persie scoring with his first shot in United colours.

Anderson clipped a ball left to Patrice Evra and the French defender sent over a cross that van Persie met on the half-volley, glancing the ball across his body and past the helpless Mark Schwarzer.

The home team maintained all of the pressure but struggled to carve out decent openings, with Rafael lifting a shot over and Kagawa having a long-range effort easily held by Schwarzer.

Ten minutes before the interval United moved in front with Fulham’s players furiously appealing for offside.

Van Persie’s corner was headed away by Mahamadou Diarra and Tom Cleverley’s powerful rebound was pushed out by Schwarzer only as far as Kagawa, who finished from a couple of yards.

Moments later, United came close to adding a third when Kagawa’s effort came back off the post and Schwarzer saved Young’s follow-up before Rafael touched in from an offside position.

But the Brazilian did add United’s third when Fulham failed to clear van Persie’s corner and Young lifted a cross to the far post for the right-back to head in for his first goal since December 2009.

The frenzied action continued when De Gea blocked Duff’s effort and then turned Petric’s effort on to the bar.

United continued to dominate after the restart without ever troubling Schwarzer.

And they allowed Martin Jol’s team back into the contest midway through the second period with a De Gea error.

Matthew Briggs swung in a cross from the left that De Gea failed to claim and the ball bounced in off Vidic.

Rooney was brought on with a quarter of the match left but De Gea was forced into two impressive saves from Moussa Dembele — one from distance and one from close-range — to preserve United’s advantage.

Rooney headed wide from a van Persie free-kick and then hit a free-kick of his own straight at the wall before suffering his late injury blow that will leave United and England sweating over his fitness.

Source: AFP.COM