Crazy Jlloyd Samuel own-goal sets up Manchester United win

by Will Swanson. Published Sat 27 Mar 2010 19:39

A remarkable own goal from Bolton Wanderers defender Jlloyd Samuel helped hand the points to Manchester United.

In the 38th minute with the score still at 0-0 Samuel managed to stroke the ball home as expertly as a seasoned striker to give United a lead they deserved on the balance of play.

Nani flicked a pass to Ryan Giggs whose ball into the box evaded Darren Fletcher and reached Samuel ten yards out. Instead of clearing the ball he instead rolled it past Jussi Jaaskelainen and into the far corner.

Bolton missed a fine chance to equalise but Edwin van der Sar produced a fine save from Fabrice Muamba.

After the break Dimitar Berbatov added a deserved second in the 69th minute. Darren Fletcher ran onto a superb Ryan Giggs pass before hitting a left-foot shot from 20 yards that Jussi Jaaskelainen can only parry into the path of Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian slotting in from 10 yards.

The third arrived in the 78th minute when Nani marauded down the left and into the Bolton box, turned Sam Ricketts inside out and then rolled the ball along the six-yard box for Dimitar Berbatov to nonchalantly flick the ball into the net with the outside of his right foot.

In the 82nd minute Darron Gibson completed the scoring two minutes after coming on as a substitute planting a right-footed shot past Jussi Jaaskelainen from a Nani pass.