Curbishly Magic Downs United!
Alan Curbishley’s managerial career at West Ham got off to a flier with a stunning 1-0 win against Manchester United. Nigel Reo-Coker decided the game with a second-half goal that means the Reds’ Premiership lead stands at just two points after Chelsea’s win at Everton.
Curbishley never beat Manchester United during his time as Charlton Athletic boss, but enjoyed beginner’s luck as West Ham boss, as his side survived a bombardment to nick the winner a quarter of an hour from home.
Towards the end of his reign Alan Pardew exiled Argentinian internationals Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano from his team, and Curbishley continued the trend.
His side produced a committed performance, but their abundant heart cannot obscure the fact that the visitors should have put the game beyond reach long before Reo-Coker struck.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had 18 shots, nine of them on target, and won the corner count by a margin of 11 to one.
Louis Saha tested the excellent Robert Green with several efforts from the edge of the box, while Wayne Rooney volleyed over in the opening exchanges.
It was not one-way traffic, though, as Matthew Etherington spurned a decent headed chance for the Hammers and Marlon Harewood fired over.
Bobby Zamora failed to convert the best chance of the opening period when he outmuscled Rio Ferdinand but shot straight at Edwin van der Sar when through one on one.
After the break United tried to turn the screw, with Cristiano Ronaldo cutting inside from the left and drilling towards the far corner, only to be denied by another stunning Green save.
There was no way even Green could have saved Ryan Giggs’ shot on the hour had he placed it on target from eight yards, but the normally clinical Welshman spooned it high over the bar.
Anton Ferdinand, up against his brother Rio, and former United man Jonathan Spector personified the Hammers’ defensive commitment, and the latter reacted astonishingly well to prevent a poor Paul Konchesky clearance falling for Ronaldo.
As United missed chance after chance, a boisterous Upton Park crowd smelled blood.
Former Old Trafford favourite Teddy Sheringham replaced Zamora and immediately made his intelligence and precision tell.
He was instrumental in the goal, finding Marlon Harewood who turned and laid a ball into the path of Reo-Coker and the under-fire West Ham captain was presented with a simple finish.
It was a fitting response from the man blamed by many for Alan Pardew’s sacking that he should be instrumental in the start of the club’s revival.
The visitors poured forward, including a late foray from Van der Sar, but where Chelsea were able to turn their game around against Everton, United never looked likely to pull off a similar feat.
Henrik Larsson watched from the stands, as he is not eligible to play for the Reds until January. How they could have done with the Swedish veteran’s precision and decisiveness at Upton Park.
