PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

Utd won this with ease as West Ham displayed a division 2 performance. Utd strolled to a victory with Yorke scoring a fine goal."

MATCH REPORT

By David Anderson, PA Sport

Manchester United made light of a power cut and West Ham to cruise to a comfortable victory. Kick-off had been delayed for 45 minutes after the electricity supply to Old Trafford was lost just before the game was due to begin.

Norweb engineers restored power and that was end of the afternoon's drama as United strolled to one of their easiest wins of the season. United won without too much effort against a West Ham side who were simply shocking.

The game was totally forgettable from their point of view except for bright spark Joe Cole who came on at half-time to make an eye-catching debut in the Premiership. The Hammers may have started the day just three points behind United, but the teams were a class apart once the game started.

Roy Keane was superb in the United's engine room, as was Dwight Yorke. Andy Cole weighed in with two goals in between efforts from Yorke and substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

But in truth Cole should have scored four of five goals such was his wastefulness in front of goal.

Before the game Hammers boss Harry Redknapp had identified United's wide play as one of their main strengths and to try and counter this he used wing backs. The tactic was also supposed to make up for Redknapp's lack of full backs, especially with Julian Dicks out of favour.

But his ploy made little difference and their defence was caught out as early as the first minute when a mistake by Rio Ferdinand allowed Cole to unleash a shot which Shaka Hislop turned away for a corner. That was a taste of things to come and Stan Lazaridis deflected a Ryan Giggs curler wide before, after nine minutes, United scored the goal they had threatened from the first whistle.

Keane found Cole on the edge of the area and he turned and picked out Yorke on the right, who, despite a suspicion of offside, fired home across Hislop for his 13th strike of the season and first since November 25 against Barcelona. In the 13th minute it should have been 2-0 when Neil Ruddock slipped trying to intercept Jesper Blomqvist's cross leaving Cole unmarked six yards out, but Hislop saved his weak shot between his legs.

United underlined their superiority when they scored again five minutes before half-time. Nicky Butt's deflected shot rebounded off the post to Cole who knocked the ball into the unguarded net for his 12th goal of the campaign.

The moment all West Ham fans had been waiting for came at half-time when the much-hyped Cole came on for his first taste of Premiership action up front in place of Trevor Sinclair. The 17-year-old showed some nice touches, but it was United who nearly scored again when Hislop pushed Keane's deflected shot around the post.

Cole missed again in the 58th minute after great play once again by Keane. The United captain lifted the ball over the top of the Hammers defence into the path of Denis Irwin and when Hislop blocked his effort, Cole fired over the top from the rebound.

The only silver lining to West Ham's cloud was Cole and he displayed great skill when he backheeled the ball through Irwin's legs to Pearce. United continued to threaten the West Ham goal, but a third goal was proving elusive.

Butt stung Hislop's hands with a fierce drive from the edge of the area after he had been set up by Yorke and Irwin headed wide of the goal from the rebound.

But United would not be denied any longer and midway through the half Yorke brought the ball down for Cole and this time he made no mistake to beat Hislop. United turned the match into a rout when Solskjaer headed home their fourth in the 80th minute after Giggs' flick had been saved by Hislop.

Frank Lampard restored some face for West Ham when he slotted home a consolation goal two minutes from time. It will, though, prove little consolation after this pathetic display.

POST MATCH REACTIONS

Alex Ferguson joked his players must have enjoyed his team talk after a power cut at Old Trafford left the dressing rooms in darkness. The United boss had a sneaking suspicion that some of his players liked the fact that he could not see if they were paying attention.

"The dressing room was in darkness and the players must have enjoyed my team talk because they could go to sleep without me seeing them," quipped Ferguson, after United's 4-1 win.

Kick-off was delayed 45 minutes because of the loss of electricity which had been triggered by circuit problems within Old Trafford. The delay had no effect on United as they strolled to victory against a very poor West Ham.

Dwight Yorke opened the scoring before Andy Cole netted twice and substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once. Frank Lampard pulled a goal back for the visitors before the end but it was consolation they scarcely deserved.

The win lifts United to third in the Premiership and Ferguson feels his side have recovered from their dodgy spell in December.

"I think they have come back well and it says a lot for them after the hard spell they have had and one or two uncertain results," he said. "The performance today, and against Middlesbrough last week, has got us back on the rails again. I thought we really played some good football at times. They worked hard and it was a good team performance.

"West Ham had a go at us after half time, which suited us well because we then had the quickness to break against them. We could have scored a lot more goals in the second half and I'm well pleased to see our confidence is back."

Meanwhile, Dwight Yorke believes the friendship he has struck up with fellow frontman Andy Cole can help fire Manchester United to the title.

Yorke said: "Andy and I have become friends off the field. I think that has got a significant part to play. I have played with so many other people and, to be fair, the other guys have been tremendous as well.

"But I'm just delighted that everybody is doing well and that there are no complaints at the moment in the camp."

Cole underlined how having players like Solskjaer on the bench has kept his partnership with Yorke flourishing.

"It always keeps you on your toes, the manager has stressed that. Whenever you play, you must be kept on your toes because everyone will get their fair quota of games. We came out fired up just like we did last week, and got the early goal which was just reward," he told Sky Sports.

Hammers boss Harry Redknapp played with wing-backs because of injuries and he felt this suited United.

"We were run ragged," he admitted. "They were very, very good and we didn't play very well. To be honest I sensed we would have problems playing this system against them, but I had no choice. I have just not got any full-backs or a left-back on the books who's fit."

Consolation to Redknapp was the performance of the much-hyped teenager Joe Cole on his Premiership debut after he replaced thigh-victim Trevor Sinclair at half-time.

"I felt when he came on he was bright and wanted to play," said Redknapp. "If the kid's good enough he will play and there have been other 17-year-olds in the country playing. He's got no nerves and the whole thing doesn't bother him - he just wants to play."

TEAMS

Manchester United: Van Der Gouw, G Neville, Stam, Johnsen, Irwin, Beckham, Scholes, Butt, Giggs, Scholes, Cole.
Subs: Solskjaer for Butt, Johnsen for Brown.
Scorers: Yorke (10), Cole (40, 68) Solskjaer (80)

West Ham United: Hislop, Pearce, Potts, Ferdinand, Ruddock, Lazaridis, Lampard, Lomas, Berkovic, Hartson, Sinclair.
Subs: Cole for Sinclair.
Scorers: Lampard (88)

Referee: M Reid