Scholes scored

By Chris,
February 20 2009

Manchester United easily swept aside Fulham on Wednesday evening to open up a five-point gap at the top of the Premier League table. Edwin van der Sar kept a fourteenth consecutive clean sheet as goals from Paul Scholes, Dimitar Berbatov and comeback king Wayne Rooney helped the rampant Reds to an easy three points.

United started brightly and had the lead after only twelve minutes thanks to an error from Mark Schwarzer. The Fulham stopper blocked Paul Scholes' long-range volley, but then let the ball spill into the net.

The Cottagers rarely looked like battling back and United doubled their lead on the half-hour. Berbatov supplied a neat finish to an awesome passing move from the world champions. The move finished up with Scholes floating a lovely long pass to O'Shea, with the Irishman's volley eluding the hapless Schwarzer and United's Bulgarian frontman was on hand to slot home.

United's dominance continued and an unambitious Fulham, without a league win on the road all season, seemed purely interested in damage limitation. The result was put beyond any serious doubt after the hour-mark as substitute Rooney marked his return to action with a strike as he turned home a Ji-Sung Park cross.

The result leaves United a whopping five points clear at the top of the table ahead of Saturday's Lancashire derby with Blackburn at Old Trafford.

Full Time - Manchester United 3-0 Fulham
Attendance - 75,437