Rene's Reds Go Top

FA Premier Reserve League North
Manchester United 2
Wigan Athletic 1
Ewen Fields, Hyde

A second-half brace from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake saw United's Reserves go to the
top of the FAPRL table for the first time this season by beating a spirited
Wigan side.

In a freakish incident, the visitors briefly levelled after a long punt from
goalkeeper Floyd Croll was caught by the wind and bounced over the
backpedalling Tim Howard.

Rene Meulensteen named a strong side which included six members of the
first-team squad which had made the midweek trip to Lille.

Howard, Liam Miller, Gerard Pique, Giuseppe Rossi, Ritchie Jones and
Jonny Evans all started less than 24 hours after watching Sir Alex Ferguson's
side slip to defeat in the Stade de France.

United started well, and Blake was a thorn in the side in the first half.
Twice the Cambridge-born striker fired narrowly wide, before seeing his
close-range strike flicked brilliantly onto the crossbar by Croll.

Blake eventually got his just rewards in the second half after an excellent
team goal.

Markus Neumayr's looping cross from the right was headed down by Rossi, and
the onrushing Blake calmly slid the ball past the advancing Croll.

United almost drew blood again shortly afterwards, but this time Blake proved
the culprit as he stabbed Rossi's goalbound header over the bar from close
range.

Then came Croll's unlikely equaliser, which came in no small part thanks to
the worsening weather. Propelled by the gusting wind, the ball skipped up off
the sodden turf and flew over Howard's head.

The heavens opened shortly afterwards and served to further saturate the pitch,
but United kept their composure and moved back into the lead.

Within minutes of Danny Simpson being denied with a cross-cum-shot, Blake
raced onto Neumayr's fine through-ball before slotting beautifully past Croll.

The Latics keeper produced another moment of brilliance to tip Neumayr's
left-wing free-kick over the bar, then Lee Martin wasted an opening after
being put through by Rossi.

Though United couldn't find a third goal to settle the nerves, they held on
against the gritty visitors to move to the top of the league for the first
time since lifting the trophy last May.

United: Howard, Simpson, Eckersley, J Evans, Pique (Gibson, 75), Miller,
        Neumayr (Marsh, 90), R Jones, Ebanks-Blake (Cooper, 83), Rossi, Martin.
Substitutes: Steele, Fox.