Monday, 16 September 2013 00:00
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Reuters: Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney scored to lift Manchester United to a patchy 2-0 home win over 10-man Crystal Palace on Saturday with a workmanlike display that will have done little to worry their Premier League title rivals.
Having failed to find the net in the their last two games, relief echoed around Old Trafford when Van Persie converted a controversial penalty on the stroke of halftime for his third goal of the season.
Referee Jon Moss pointed to the spot and sent off Palace defender Kagisho Dikgacoi for bringing down Ashley Young at Old Trafford, but replays showed the initial contact had been well outside the area.
United, who had seen two earlier penalty appeals waved away, struggled to build any momentum despite dominating possession and took until the 81st minute to double their advantage.
Rooney, wearing a thickly wadded headband after sitting out their last Premier League game and two internationals with a cut head, curled in a free kick from 25 metres to make the game safe.
New signing Marouane Fellaini started on the bench but joined the fray in the second half and his combative presence helped to contain Palace’s limited ambitions on the break.
Yet there was little urgency from United to kill off the match and while Palace were there for the taking the champions seemed content to push and prod, but rarely committed numbers to the attack.
The result helped United paper over a poor start to the season and moved them up to seven points from their opening four matches. Promoted Palace have three.
