Rooney’s unwitting part in United victory

Man Utd 3 West Brom 0

Albion, managed by former United legend Bryan Robson, managed to control their hosts for the opening half hour until Rooney was accidentally involved in injuring Paul Robinson, the visiting defender who had performed an admirable man-marking job on him until that point but who was stretchered off the field after a blow to his head.

Within a minute of Robinson’s departure, however, Paul Scholes had shot United into the lead and further goals from Rio Ferdinand and Ruud van Nistelrooy turned the afternoon into three routine points for United.