United's frittering has Ferguson fretting

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will spend the next two weeks trying to find a way to stop his team making him sweat after last night’s last-gasp 3-0 win over Everton.

With just three minutes to go, the sides were deadlocked but in a dramatic finish, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s penalty was sandwiched between a pair of blistering Paul Scholes strikes to ensure the Old Trafford outfit extended their winning run to six games.

The ending was as dramatic as it was unlikely, particularly as David Beckham had already struck the bar and Van Nistelrooy had blazed a golden chance over from barely six yards as United tried to turn their dominance into something more tangible.

“We just kept frittering chances away,” said Ferguson.

“You can’t do that in games like this because it kept them in the game. Every time they came forward at the end, it was a real threat.”

Sixteen-year-old wonderkid Wayne Rooney spurned a chance to put the Toffeemen in front just minutes before the late goal avalanche swept Everton away.

Rooney muscled his way beyond the last United defender but shot tamely at Fabien Barthez, the Red Devils advancing back downfield to make the youngster pay a maximum penalty.

In addition, Everton also had to suffer the agony of losing skipper David Weir, who was sent off for hauling back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he attempted to latch onto Van Nistelrooy’s through ball.

“It was a definite penalty but I’m not sure whether the lad should have been sent off,” said Ferguson. “These things are all down to interpretation.

“Once we got the first goal we looked a completely different team. Our build up play was very good but two or three times we got to the by-line and took the wrong option.

“That was the best Everton side we have played against in years and the scoreline doesn’t tell the story of the match.

“But there is no-one better at getting goals from midfield than Paul Scholes and he did really well at the end.”

Scholes’ opener was a first-time low drive after Van Nistelrooy’s header had dropped to him on the edge of the area. The England international’s second was despatched into the top corner with venom from 20 yards after Phil Neville had won a tackle in midfield.

In between Van Nistelrooy, back after his hamstring injury, slammed home his sixth goal in five outings following Weir’s indiscretion as United closed the gap on Premiership leaders Arsenal to six points.

Even the sight of David Beckham walking off with ice strapped to his calf could not deflate the ecstatic home contingent, the England skipper claiming afterwards that the injury was “nothing serious” and should not prevent his participation in the European Championship double-header with Slovakia and Macedonia over the coming 10 days.

For Everton boss David Moyes, managing a team at Old Trafford for the first time, it was a bitter-sweet experience.

Thomas Gravesen was outstanding in midfield, while his defenders stood up to some superb approach play from the home team, leaving Richard Wright relatively untroubled until those dramatic final stages.

“There are lots of positives to take from this but my team don’t want to lose and then get pats on the back. They want to win and we expected to win,” said Moyes.

“Wayne had a chance just before they got their first but he used up an awful lot of strength just getting himself into the shooting position. In a couple of years’ time when he has developed a bit more he will finish those off.

“I feel sorry for David Weir because he has barely conceded a free-kick all game and ends up getting sent off.

“He tugged Solskjaer back initially but that was outside the box. After that he got goal side and I don’t even think he was going to get a shot in eventually.

“I can’t believe what’s happened really. When you have done all that work and then concede a goal with three minutes left it’s sickening.”