United stroll past Wolves
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Sunday, 29, Jan 2006 06:20
Manchester United sauntered into the FA Cup fifth round with an easy 3-0 win over Wolves at Molineux.
Two Kieran Richardson goals sandwiched a Louis Saha effort as United just had too much quality for the Championship challengers.
Richardson opened the scoring after just four minutes. With both Wolves centre-backs caught ball-watching, the midfielder ghosted into the area behind Ruud van Nistelrooy to steer a low shot past Stefan Postma for 1-0.
Two Wimbledon old boys fashioned a chance for the home side to get back on terms almost immediately, but Carl Cort headed Mark Kennedy's excellent cross over the bar.
Gary Neville spurned an excellent chance to make the game safe when he was set free on the overlap by Rio Ferdinand, who started the game in the centre of midfield. But the England right-back's weak effort was easily blocked by Postma.
The let-off proved not to be costly when Louis Saha made the game safe in the last minute of the first half.
Wolves' centre-backs were once more conspicuous by their absence as the Frenchman raced clear chasing Nemanja Vidic's long ball over the top before firing past the exposed Postma for a 2-0 half-time lead.
Any lingering hopes of a Wolves' comeback were dismissed six minutes after the interval.
Park-Ji Sung battled down the right wing and found Van Nistelrooy in the area. The Dutchman stood the ball up at the far post for Richardson to nod home easily.
United briefly threatened to run riot, as Postma denied Park and Saha's follow-up back-heel was blocked on the line.
Cort fired wide after being set up again by Kennedy, and his replacement Tomasz Frankowski angled a shot just wide of the United goal on his debut.
Vidic was booked for body-checking Kenny Miller, but in truth the visitors were rarely threatened as they closed out a comfortable win.
United almost added a fourth, but Van Nistelrooy's fizzing drive from Wayne Rooney's header clipped the top of the bar and went over.