BY Louise Taylor ( The Times )

GALVANISED by inspired wing play, irresistible crosses and incisive finishing, Manchester United were irrepressible, thoroughly vindicating Alex Ferguson's adventurous team selection.

Patently taking the view that fortune really would favour the brave, United's manager reaped deserved rewards for fielding an audaciously attacking ensemble which could have clocked up a cricket score.

While Wimbledon will be almost relieved to have conceded only five, Ferguson must feel reassured that United are fully roused from a worrying recent torpor, emphasised by their ascent to second place in the Premiership.

It leaves Mancunians optimistic ahead of Wednesday's Champions League trip to Brondby, but a sobering note was sounded near the end when an elementary error from the otherwise efficient Jaap Stam almost allowed Michael Hughes a soft goal. Perhaps the £10.5m Dutchman was feeling the pressure engendered by mounting competition from Old Trafford's in-house talent.

Wes Brown is the latest youngster to graduate from United's youth ranks. The England under-21 international made his home debut at right back, allowing Gary Neville's embryonic central defensive partnership with Stam to remain undisturbed.

Brown, who prefers playing centre-half, was evidently unfazed by his elevation. First he overlapped down the right and played a one-two with David Beckham before Dwight Yorke headed wide.

He tried again, skipping past Dean Blackwell to earn a corner, and his enthusiasm proved infectious. Roy Keane surged into enemy territory and struck a post with a left-foot shot.

Already struggling to keep their feet on a greasy surface Wimbledon's backline were being turned at will and a United goal seemed inevitable. It arrived in the 19th minute when Beckham's superlative pass to Andy Cole beat the offside trap. Cole delayed accelerating just long enough to stay onside and beat Neil Sullivan with a low, unerring, right-foot shot.

If the goal was classic Cole, Keane was in trademark high-energy, box-to-box mode and, but for Blackwell's brave block, the Irishman would have scored following Jesper Blomqvist's left-wing cross. With Blomqvist patrolling that flank, Ryan Giggs played in central midfield, with a licence to augment the attack.

Meanwhile Wimbledon's game plan featured their own free spirit, Michael Hughes, playing off Carl Leaburn with Jason Euell briefed to bomb forward from right midfield when circumstances permitted. Unfortunately Joe Kinnear's men generally failed to subject their hosts to any sort of significant blitzing. Instead, it was Wimbledon's rearguard which was increasingly troubled, particularly by Blomqvist's accurate left wing centres.

If United were dangerous down the flanks they were also menacing through the middle and Brown, temporarily bored on the right, fully stretched Sullivan with a teasing shot. At this rate Denis Irwin will struggle to reclaim his place.

United would certainly struggle to explain Euell's equaliser seven minutes before the interval. It was a typically Wimbledonesque goal, starting when a Leaburn shot somehow deflected to Euell. He cut in from the flank, swung a boot at the ball and sent it, via a deflection off a United player, into the back of Raimond van der Gouw's net.

An affronted United immediately answered back, Blomqvist whipping in another of those centres and Giggs heading the hosts back in front. It would have been interesting to see how Brown might have coped with a winger of Blomqvist's calibre but, with Alan Kimble and Ben Thatcher initially doubling up defensively down Wimbledon's left, he was free to attack.

Kimble was withdrawn in a double Wimbledon half-time substitution, but it made scant difference as, three minutes into the new period, United got their third. Drifting inside and gaining possession around the halfway line Beckham advanced and shot from at least 25 yards. The Brylcreem boy's latest breath-taking goal was quickly followed by United's fourth.

This time Yorke scored, controlling a through ball and cheekily dropping his shoulder to dodge Blackwell before beating Sullivan. Cole claimed his second at the death shooting with precision after good service from Paul Scholes.

All in all, the only Red Devils entitled to be less than overjoyed were Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. On this evidence, breaking up the Cole-Yorke attacking partnership will not be easy.

Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, G. Neville, Stam, Beckham, Cole, Giggs, P. Neville, Blomqvist, Keane, Yorke, Brown. Goals: Cole 19, Giggs 45, Beckham 48, Yorke 54, Cole 88.

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Kimble, Perry, Blackwell, Thatcher, Earle, Roberts, Leaburn, Hughes, Euell. Goal: Euell 39.

Substitutes:
Manchester United: Beckham (Cruyff 56min), Giggs (Scholes 65min), P Neville (Curtis 74min).
Wimbledon: Kimble (Ardley 46min), Leaburn (Gayle 46min).

Booked: Stam (54min), Gayle (55min).

Referee: G Willard (Worthing).

Attendance: 55,265.