SOCCER/Airtricity XI 1 Manchester U 7:BRIAN KERR once pointed out that something had to be going badly wrong on the pitch when the crowd at a football match seemed more interested in performing a Mexican wave than watching the action. In truth, that was just one of the tell-tale signs at the Aviva Stadium last night that all was not as it should have been.
Bringing in a team of Manchester United’s quality so close to the start of their season and then putting it up to a League of Ireland selection to test them in an exhibition match was always a risky proposition. If it earned the money men up in the FAI a decent pay day it backfired rather badly on their colleagues in the department that spends its time promoting the club game here at home.
European competition, of course, is a far fairer barometer of how this country’s best sides and their players are progressing but then barring a remarkable upset in Modena tonight, it hasn’t been a great summer on that front either.
Here, Alex Ferguson’s men romped to victory so comfortably in the end that even their seven goals seemed scarcely to merit them being awarded the “Challenge” trophy John O’Shea accepted on their behalf. The fact is United will be lucky to have a less challenging 90 minutes over the course of the next 10 months.
Still, the supporters liked it. The stadium was a little late filling up but the bulk of the largely United supporting locals were inside in time to see their team take the lead courtesy of Ji-sung Park just 14 minutes in.
The fear had been that United would not take the game seriously enough but in pretty much single-handedly conceding the goal out of nothing, Gavin Peers provided evidence the league team’s members could be just as offhand about the occasion. The 24-year-old centre back procrastinated on the ball inside his six-yard box after cutting out a low cross by the Korean before attempting a clearance that his opponent effectively blocked into the top corner.
It was not the start a team keen to win over the sceptics would have wanted but as a taster for some of the defending that was to follow it was accurate enough.
The Airtricity side did produce some decent passages of passing play in midfield with Joseph Ndo, in particular, showing more than once he was comfortable in the surroundings – not least when he nutmegged Darron Gibson on the edge of the United penalty area – but for the most part the home side was outclassed with only a fine goal by Dave Mulcahy amid some late pressure restoring a little bit of pride.
Having said he would have his team take the game to their opponents, Damien Richardson chose to play with just one player – Paddy Madden – up front and Ndo and co behind him finding it hard to provide any meaningful support, the Bohemians striker proved utterly incapable of making an impact.
Prior to being replaced midway through the second half, United goalkeeper Tomas Kuszczak had really been called into action just once and that was when he was forced to react quickly to a headed pass back by Nemanja Vidic.
In front of the Serb, the whole thing was about as testing as a training ground run-out with Park running riot down one flank in the first half, Antonio Valencia repeatedly opening the locals up down the other throughout the second.
After the comedy first goal, Michael Owen added a rather more impressive second as he maintain his balance under pressure long enough to lob Gary Rogers. That was just 25 minutes in but with it passed even the slightest pretence that what we were watching was a contest.
The Irish battled through to half-time without conceding again but were quickly back in trouble after the break when Valencia set up the newly-arrived Javier Hernandez for a terribly soft third. The winger then made it four himself with Park, Jonny Evans and, from the penalty spot, Nani completing the scoring for the visitors.
United eased up and the Irish side started to attack with a little more vigour towards the end. With just over 10 minutes remaining, Conor Powell set up Mulcahy for a goal he took very well from the edge of the area. The goal promoted the biggest cheer of the night and while Nani restored United’s six-goal lead, Karl Sheppard forced a decent stop from Ben Amos in the dying minutes.
AIRTRICITY LEAGUE XI: Rogers (St Patrick’s Athletic); Shelley (Bohemians), Peers (Sligo Rovers), Oman (Bohemians), Powell (Bohemians); Guy (St Patrick’s Athletic), Keegan (Bohemians), Williams (Sporting Fingal), Brennan (Bohemians); Ndo (Sligo Rovers); Madden (Bohemians). Subs: Kirby (Sporting Fingal) for Brennan (half-time), Kenna (St Patrick’s Athletic) for Peers (54 mins), Sheppard (Galway Utd) for Madden, Ryan (Sligo Rovers) for Williams (both 65 mins), Doherty (Derry City), O’Brien (Sporting Fingal) and Dave Mulcahy (St Patrick’s Athletic) for Rogers, Ndo and Guy (all 70 mins).
MANCHESTER UNITED: Kuszczak; O’Shea, Smalling, Vidic, Evans; Valencia, Carrick, Gibson, Park; Rooney, Owen. Subs: Hernandez and Berbatov for Owen and Rooney (both half-time), Nani for Gibson and Amos for Kuszczak (both 65 mins).
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).
