MAN UTD 2 PARK (44,92) v. WOLVES 1 EBANKS-BLAKE (65)
6 NOVEMBER 2010 OLD TRAFFORD | ATTENDANCE: 75,285
Stack the odds however high you want, United will overcome them.
Shorn of several key players through illness and fronted by a well-drilled Wolverhampton Wanderers side, the Reds negated a disjointed display to take the spoils through Ji-sung Park's injury-time winner.
The Korean, whose first-half opener had been cancelled out by ex-Red Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, slotted inside Marcus Hahnemann's near post in the third of four added minutes to send Old Trafford wild and extend United's winning run to six games.
That sequence included a similarly dramatic Carling Cup victory over Mick McCarthy's side, and the Midlanders can once again feel hard done-by after more than matching the Reds for long periods. Had substitute Steven Fletcher not blasted over from 10 yards late on, they might have been celebrating a famous victory.
Instead, United negated a display devoid of fluency to take the spoils when Park wound infield, shimmied and slipped a shot past Hahnemann. For long periods it seemed that the virus which had swept through Carrington would prove costly, while the mood inside Old Trafford was further dampened when surprise recall Owen Hargreaves was substituted with an early hamstring injury.
Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov, almost certain starters, were claimed by the Carrington illness and joined a long list of absentees, while Paul Scholes was demoted to the bench - almost certainly because a booking would rule him out of the looming Manchester derby.
In his stead, Darren Fletcher returned from an ankle injury sustained in Tuesday's win at Bursaspor. More surprising was the inclusion of Hargreaves for his first start since September 2008. Stationed out on the right wing, however, the 29-year-old lasted under four minutes on his return to action, seemingly pulling his left hamstring as he flicked a cross into the visitors' penalty area.
Despite brief attempts to run off the injury, Hargreaves was soon replaced by Bebe, who scored his first United goal in the Reds' recent Carling Cup victory over Wolves. The Portuguese winger was heavily involved early on, with the majority of the game played down United's right hand side.
However, perhaps understandable given the relative unfamiliarity of United's front six, Wolves enjoyed plenty of the pressure. Matt Jarvis, who impressed at Old Trafford 11 days ago, was again a livewire on the wing, while similarly eye-catching displays came from industrious midfielder David Edwards and lone striker Kevin Doyle.
Wolves pressed aggressively. Karl Henry pounced on a short clearance from Edwin van der Sar, only to watch his 40-yard return sail into the arms of the retreating Dutchman, who soon afterward fielded a deflected Doyle header with complete comfort.
United briefly sparked into life around the quarter-hour mark, as Bebe's goal-bound shot was superbly blocked by Richard Stearman and Park curled comfortably over the bar after a melee on the edge of the visitors' area.
Nevertheless, the majority of the play was applied by Wolves, who grew in confidence as the game advanced and repeatedly poured forward in numbers, despite an apparent surfeit of midfielders. United still carried menace on the counter-attack, however, and a superb ball from Fletcher released Bebe on the right. His pull-back gave Obertan time to take a touch and advance, but the Frenchman's shot was dragged comfortably wide.
Far more threatening was Wolves' brisk riposte. A poor clearance from Rio Ferdinand failed to end the visitors' pressure, culminating in Jarvis pulling back for Nenad Milijas. The Serbian's goalbound shot looked to be covered by van der Sar, but instead crept past the opposite post after a sizeable deflection off Nemanja Vidic.
Similar defensive uncertainty prompted another Wolves opening shortly before half-time. Jarvis was again involved, curling in a magnificent left-wing cross which narrowly evaded the onrushing Stephen Hunt.
The visitors were left to rue that close call as United took the lead in the final minute of the half. Gaining possession on the left, Fletcher advanced infield and slipped a fine pass to Park. Played onside by Stearman and Stephen Ward, the Korean steadied himself before slotting a finish past the exposed Hahnemann, despite the best efforts of Henry.
Scored against the run of play, the goal ensured a much-changed spectacle after the interval. Wolves appeared content to sit off and allow United more pressure, and the Reds almost doubled the lead just after the hour-mark. The excellent Patrice Evra slipped a pass to Bebe, whose powerful shot was spilled by Hahnemann, only for the American to gather before John O'Shea could pounce.
Mick McCarthy rolled the dice with a third of the game remaining, and quickly reaped the rewards. Ebanks-Blake, thrown on alongside Steven Fletcher, levelled the score when he latched onto Milijas' half-hit shot, turned away from Vidic and slotted a close-range finish between van der Sar's legs.
Although Javier Hernandez soon had a shot shovelled wide by Hahnemann, Sir Alex Ferguson soon made changes of his own. Paul Scholes and Kiko Macheda were introduced at the expense of O'Shea and Bebe, affording the hosts a more balanced, threatening 4-4-2. Inevitably, that also made the Reds more prone to counter-attacks, and a huge let-off came and went when Wolves striker Fletcher slashed a shot hopelessly over the bar from 10 yards.
Just as late drama looked to have missed its cue, however, United snatched victory. In the 93rd minute, Park declined the invitation to sling a cross into a packed penalty area and instead meandered into it, outfoxed a pack of defenders and slipped a low shot inside Hahnemann's near post.
Questions over the goalkeeping, questions over the overall display, but no question of the indefatigable spirit which continues to course through this club.
Credit: Manchester United Ltd
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