Reds End Barren Penalty Run

Manchester United were finally awarded a first penalty of the season during Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Burnley in the Barclays Premier League, with Robin van Persie making no mistake from 12 yards.

The Reds had gone further into a season without being awarded a spot-kick than in any campaign in the past 60 years. In 1981/82 and 1988/89, United scored penalties on 23 January and that date passed when the FA Cup clash at Cambridge United ended goalless.

Way back in the mid-1950s, there was something of a longer drought that reporter Tom Jackson covered in the United Review matchday programme. Roger Byrne, skipper of the Busby Babes, had scored from the spot against Preston North End in a 2-0 victory at Deepdale on 26 March 1955.

Jackson wrote: "Byrne added the second from the penalty spot – now that was really something. For my records show that this was United's first penalty award in any League or Cup game since 19 September 1953 when, curiously enough, Preston were the victims at Old Trafford.

"All told, United had played 68 senior matches without getting a single penalty – and, if that's not a record, I'll eat my hat!"

In 1989/90, Alex Ferguson's side went 44 matches without scoring a penalty but Brian McClair had one saved by Arsenal's John Lukic on the opening day of the campaign at Old Trafford in a fixture often remembered for Michael Knighton's pre-match ball-juggling. Another of Sir Alex's teams took 23 games to register a penalty strike in 2001/02 although Ruud van Nistelrooy had failed from the spot against Olympiacos in late October.

It is worth remembering the Reds were awarded a penalty in Louis van Gaal's very first match in charge of the club at Old Trafford in August. However, Wayne Rooney hit a post during the friendly against Valencia after he had been fouled.

Aston Villa are now the only club not to earn a penalty in this season's Barclays Premier League, while four have been given against the Reds.