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Manchester United 4 - 1 Blackburn
Saturday 31st March 2007
Old Trafford, Manchester
Manchester United stormed back from a goal down to brush aside Blackburn. Blackburn did the double over United in the Premiership last season and they started off in determined mood to cause an upset.
David Dunn and Derbyshire both had early half chances, but it was United who had the first clear opportunity when a Cristiano Ronaldo strike was blocked by keeper Brad Friedel.
United central defender Nemanja Vidic was forced off with a broken collarbone and the home side then fell behind when Matt Derbyshire slotted home.
Carrick diverted a Morten Gamst Pedersen cross towards his own net and, despite keeper Edwin van der Sar saving, Derbyshire sidefooted into the roof of the net.
The ball fell loose for Wayne Rooney and he thought he had slotted home only for Friedel to scramble across to somehow palm his effort wide. The striker was found unmarked at the far post by a diagonal Giggs cross and, with just Friedel to beat, fluffed his shot before his second attempt was smothered by the Blackburn keeper.
United escaped a penalty appeal after a Dunn cross struck Wes Brown on the arm before the lack of form and confidence Rooney showed for England transferred itself to club level.
United went into the interval piling on the pressure in search of an equaliser and started the second half in the same manner. The Old Trafford side were rattled and Rio Ferdinand kicked the ball into the crowd and hit a spectator when the referee did not play an advantage with United's frustration boiling to the surface.
Blackburn eventually caved into the wave of United attacks when Scholes wriggled into space in the area and drove in a shot.
Giggs had a glorious chance to put his side ahead but amazingly saw his shot come back off the crossbar from just eight yards out. Carrick spared his blushes when angling in a low shot to give the home side in front.
Ji-Sung scored with an effort from point-blank range after being the quickest to react after Friedel parried a Ronaldo free-kick and Solskjaer added the finishing touch to the win with his late strike.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic (O'Shea 28), Heinze, Ronaldo (Solskjaer 84), Carrick, Scholes, Park, Giggs (Smith 84), Rooney.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Richardson.
Booked: Heinze.
Goals: Scholes 61, Carrick 73, Park 83, Solskjaer 90.
Blackburn: Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Dunn, Kerimoglu (Peter 74), Mokoena, Pedersen, Derbyshire, McCarthy (Roberts 69).
Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Nonda, Henchoz.
Booked: Dunn, Pedersen, Emerton.
Goals: Derbyshire 29.
Att: 76,098
Ref: C Foy (Merseyside).
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