Pre Season Friendly: Glentoran 0 Man. United 3

Pre-season friendly
The Oval, Belfast, Wed 8 August
GLENTORAN 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 Campbell (5), Evra (13), Nani (36)

Nani was the star of the show in Northern Ireland as United beat Glentoran 3-0 at The Oval on Wednesday night, dazzling with his skill, impressing with his tireless work-rate and scoring the best goal on the night.

The 20-year-old completed the full 90 minutes and looks ready for the start of the new season. He scored United’s third, adding to goals from Fraizer Campbell and Patrice Evra.

With Sir Alex Ferguson absent as he moves house (it seems strange even writing that), Carlos Queiroz took charge of the team in Belfast, where United were afforded a warm welcome, with more red shirts than green among the 14,000-strong crowd, and the offer of the home dressing room at The Oval.

All eyes were on United’s young signings Nani and Anderson as the match kicked off, but it was two other youthful starlets that engineered an early breakthrough.

Livewire winger Lee Martin had already proved a persistent nuisance down the left flank in the first four minutes. He showed determination to win back possession in the penalty area, skill and pace to beat his marker and awareness to pick out young striker Campbell, whose acrobatic volley from close range gave Glentoran goalkeeper Michael Dougherty no chance.

United’s slick movement brought a second goal after thirteen minutes, this time from a speedy counterattack. Nani, Anderson and Campbell all played their part in a swift move that finished up with Evra cracking a low shot into the bottom right corner.

Nani’s pace was ever threatening and, once he had settled, Anderson too showed some neat touches in his role as a deep-lying striker. He went close with a low shot on the 16-minute mark, then teed-up a Campbell volley with a clever one-two on the edge of the area.

In recent years, United fans have become accustomed to a Portuguese No.7 running at defenders, cutting inside and rifling a shot past the keeper. But, Cristiano Ronaldo had remained in Manchester for treatment on a minor ankle injury. The architect of United’s third, an unstoppable thunderbolt into the top corner, was Nani – with Ronaldo’s shirt temporarily on loan – and he appears sharp, ready for the new season and potentially as explosive as his fellow countryman.

Glentoran made nine changes at the break, whereas United made stuck with the same eleven. The Reds continued to controll the game without ever really overexerting themselves.

Half-chances came and went for Martin, Evra, Anderson and Nani. But, late on, the Irish Premier League side went close to what would have been a memorable goal to mark their 125th anniversary. First United’s Lee Martin had to clear a shot off the line following a goalmouth scramble from a corner with 15 minutes remaining, then BJ McMenamin fluffed his chance to blast home a volley.

All in all it was a good workout for the Reds, and not just for Nani and Anderson. Youngsters Martin and Campbell both impressed, and Michael Lea, Darron Gibson and Dong Fangzhuo all got run-outs as substitutes. But, now the real football begins and the Reds' focus now turns to Reading's visit to Old Trafford on Sunday for the start of United’s title defence.

Team Line-up
United: Heaton, Simpson (Gibson, 61), Ferdinand, Vidic (Lea, 69), Evra; Martin, Carrick, O’Shea, Nani; Anderson, Campbell (Dong, 61).