PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

"United were outstanding! 5-1 against the "Crazy Gang" and before they headed to Denmark to play Brondby was an excellent result."

MATCH REPORT

By David Anderson, PA Sport

Watching Brondby coach Ebbe Skovdahl will have returned to Denmark a worried man after this devastating display by Manchester United. United ripped the Dons apart at Old Trafford and could easily have won by seven or eight. Skovdahl left midway through the second half, but by then he had seen enough to know that Brondby face a stern examination in Wednesday's Champions' League clash in Copenhagen.

Wimbledon boss Joe Kinnear claimed visits to Old Trafford were becoming scarier and this United performance was frightening. United were in a different class to the Dons as they strolled to their six successive home win over them in the league. Alex Ferguson felt his side had looked like the real United in recent games and against Wimbledon they produced their best display of the season to date. They were without six players through injury and suspension and Ferguson reshuffled his squad to start the fit-again Ryan Giggs in midfield, while Wes Brown was given his first league start at Old Trafford.

United tore straight into Wimbledon and Dwight Yorke glanced a header just wide before Roy Keane shot against the post. But they did not have to wait much longer for the breakthrough and it came courtesy of a clinical finish from Andy Cole on 19 minutes. Beckham found Cole on the edge of the area and he placed the ball beyond Neil Sullivan into the bottom corner of the net for his third of the campaign. Keane then saw a goal-bound effort deflected over the bar by Dean Blackwell before Cole was denied a second by the woodwork when his header from Jesper Blomqvist's cross grazed the top of the bar.

Brown was looking impressive and Sullivan touched a 25-yard left-footed drive away for a corner in front of the crowd of 55,265, which was United's biggest home gate of the season. Wimbledon stunned United with an equaliser out of the blue in the 39th minute. Kenny Cunningham crossed to Carl Leaburn and the ball broke to Jason Euell whose deflected shot beat Raimond Van der Gouw for this fourth of the season.

Normal service was soon resumed and in stoppage time Giggs headed home his third of the season from Blomqvist's cross after Blackwell had headed a Yorke effort off the line.

United picked up where they left off after the restart and Beckham scored their third with a sublime effort two minutes into the second-half. The England midfielder picked up the ball and advanced on goal and as the Dons defence backed off, he accepted the invitation to drive home from just under 30 yards out. Yorke then netted United's fourth of the afternoon and his sixth in nine games for the Old Trafford outfit. United's record signing beat Chris Perry and Blackwell before sliding the ball home past Sullivan in the 52nd minute.

Still Keane could not score the goal his efforts deserved and in the 55th minute he drove just over the top. United were not done yet and Cole spun Blackwell, but Sullivan got down well to hold on to his low, hard drive. Brown then linked well with Yorke and Cole as he ran at the heart of the visitors' defence, but he shot over the bar before Sullivan again denied Cole.

United took the foot off the gas in the final quarter as Ferguson brought off Beckham and Giggs, but three minutes from time Cole popped up to score his second of the afternoon and complete a terrific afternoon's work.

TEAMS

Manchester United: Van Der Gouw, P Neville, G Neville, Brown, Stam, Beckham, Keane, Giggs, Blomqvist, Cole, Yorke.
Subs: Cruyff for Beckham, Scholes for Giggs, Curtis for P Neville.
Scorers: Cole (18, 87), Giggs (45), Beckham (48), Yorke (53)

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Kimble, Perry, Blackwell, Thatcher, Earle, Roberts, Leaburn, M Hughes, Euell.
Subs: Ardley for Kimble, Gayle for Leaburn.
Scorers: Euell (39)

Referee: G Willard