Manchester United 4 Wolves 1

REDS STRIKE: Nani scores United's opener

Manchester United ended a difficult week on a high with a powerful performance against Wolves at Old Trafford.

The Reds suffered a Champions League exit and the loss of skipper Nemanja Vidic for the rest of the season on Wednesday but rediscovered some of their early season form against Mick McCarthy's men.

Nani and Wayne Rooney scored two goals apiece - Steven Fletcher grabbed Wolves' consolation - and it could have been more as United reduced City's gap at the top of the Premier Leagueto two points. City travel to Chelsea on Monday night.

Reaction

It was no surprise that the week's even brough a reaction from United, although Fletcherdidfire a good chance wide after just 20 seconds.

A Wolves goal at that point would have really caused the home fans to sweat.

As it was, with Nani leading the way,United swiftly took command.

The Portugal winger was one of the few to excel in Basel and maintained that form.

He had already served notice of his intention to cause Wolves problems when he was allowed to drift his way across the penalty area, skipping past three defenders in the process.

Nani then cut a shot back beyond Wayne Hennessey's right-hand that found the bottom corner.

The celebration was a mixture of relief and defiance.

What happened on Wednesday is going to take more than one goal, one performance and one win to put right but the process of putting together those shattered pieces had begun.

It was Nani's first Premier League goal since September 24, a week after Rooney had last found the net in league combat.

Promise

That effort, aga! inst Che lsea, came at a time when United's season was so full of promise.

It is a measure of the disappointments since that when Rooney collected Nani's pass and found the same corner his team-mate's shot had nestled in earlier, it broke a sequence of seven league games when United had scored just a single goal.

Yet, in keeping with the hosts' recent difficulties, they handed Wolves a lifeline within 90 seconds of the restart when Fletcher peeled off onto Patrice Evra, then rose above the diminutive Frenchman to power home Matt Jarvis' excellent far-post cross.

For a few minutes, United were struggling as Jarvis tormented Chris Smalling.

But when Phil Jones set Antonio Valencia away, the South American's low cross was tucked home by Nani from close range.

Now United's conviction returned.

Hennessey bundled Jonny Evans' header round the post and twice denied Danny Welbeck.

In between, Valencia, one of those to struggle for form this season, picked out Rooney with another right wing cross.

Though not in the greatest position, the bounce was kind and Rooney managed to get his body in the right position to send his shot flying into the Wolves goal.

Boss Sir Alex Ferguson felt sufficiently emboldened to hand Ezekiel Fryers his Premier League debut, although it took some smart reactions from Rio Ferdinand, upon whom so much is now expected with Vidic out for the season, to prevent United ending up in trouble after the England man's clearing header had smacked Smalling in the face.

United should have wrapped things up six minutes from time but Roger Johnson was allowed to clear Jones' cross as substitute Federico Macheda slid in.

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