Berbatov Grabs Late United Win

Dimitar Berbatov's late goal gave 10-man Manchester United victory over Bolton and took their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points.

In a first half of few chances, Javier Hernandez shot wide and Martin Petrov hit a free-kick at Edwin van der Sar.

Home defender Jonny Evans was shown a straight red card in the second half for a lunge on Stuart Holden.

But Berbatov gave United the points by bundling home after Jussi Jaaskelainen failed to hold Nani's shot.

The Bulgarian's last-gasp strike, coupled with Arsenal's 2-2 draw at West Brom, allowed United to restore a cushion at the top of the table that had been damaged by defeats at Chelsea and Liverpool.

It had looked set to be a frustrating afternoon for the league leaders, who were more than matched by a spirited Bolton side for large parts of the game.

Indeed, had Matthew Taylor not directed a free header straight at Edwin van der Sar just moments before Berbatov's winner, Bolton might have been the victors.

Instead, United clinched the win but not without a cost, with Wes Brown being forced off at half-time with a suspected leg injury and Evans now facing a suspension.

This will stretch a defence that is already without injured quartet Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Rafael da Silva and John O'Shea.

The patched-up United back four was regularly tested by Wanderers in an evenly contested first half.

Van der Sar was equal to Petrov's free-kick, Johan Elmander had a shot blocked by Patrice Evra and the backline, well led by Chris Smalling, was forced to repel a wave of Bolton attacks.

At the other end, United were perhaps unfairly denied a penalty by referee Andre Marriner when Hernandez's shot hit the outstretched arm of a sliding Gary Cahill.

In addition to this, Wayne Rooney acrobatically hooked a shot straight at Jaaskelainen and Hernandez missed the target from close range after being fed by a Rooney cut-back.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, serving the first of a five-match touchline ban, was in regular telephone contact with the United dugout and acted to change his side at half-time, replacing the injured Brown with Fabio da Silva and replacing Hernandez with Berbatov.

But, despite the open nature of the game, the changes brought United no closer to a breakthrough, with their attacks regularly thwarted by the excellent Bolton central defensive pair of Cahill and David Wheater.

Berbatov curled a shot wide and was then denied a clear run on goal by a last-ditch challenge from Cahill, as United moved closer to drawing a blank in a Premier League game at Old Trafford for the first time since September 2009.

Then, the game sparked into life with the dismissal of Evans.

The Northern Ireland international slid into a 50-50 challenge with Holden with his studs showing and his foot slightly off the floor. He was shown a straight red, while Holden was stretchered off with a gash in his knee.

Holden was replaced by Taylor and the substitute soon had a chance to open the scoring but wasted Wanderers' best opportunity of the afternoon when, left unmarked in the United penalty box, he could only head Gretar Steinsson's cross at Van der Sar.

Soon after, Nani cut inside from the United right and saw an effort beaten away by Jaaskelainen.

The Portugal international then tried his luck from the opposite side and this time the Bolton keeper could only parry the ball back into the path of Berbatov, who poked home to give United what could prove to be a vital three points.


Berbatov celebrates scoring the winner with Antonio Valencia