8 May 2006, by Sean Gillen

Sparkling Ronaldo ends season on a high

Manchester United 4-0 Charlton Athletic

Cristiano Ronaldo was on the scoresheet as Manchester United clinched second place with an impressive performance in front of a record 73,000 crowd at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo scored the second of United’s four goals as the ‘Red Devils’ held off nearest challengers Liverpool to ensure automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Much of the pre-match build-up was disrupted after United’ top goalscorer Ruud van Nistelrooy stormed out of the stadium after learning that he had only made the bench, all but confirming the Dutchman’s imminent departure from the club.

However, as has often been the case in recent months, United performed better without van Nistelrooy, with Ronaldo linking up well with Louis Saha and teenage striker Giuseppe Rossi in the attack.

Ronaldo had United’s first chance after five minutes when he failed to connect to a Kieran Richardson cross with his head. The Portuguese winger then hit a brilliant 30-metre free-kick which forced Charlton ‘keeper Stefan Anderson into a good save.

Kieran Richardson smashed the ball onto the underside of the bar from long range as United put the visitors under pressure in the hunt for the first goal. The goal came in the 19th minute as French striker Louis Saha nodded in a Ryan Giggs’ corner.

Ronaldo fires home

Ronaldo got United’s second just four minutes later, firing home at the second attempt after a Ryan Giggs cutback for his 12th goal of the season. The strike rounds off a good second half of the season for the 21-year-old, who has improved his goal tally every season since arriving at Old Trafford.

Louis Saha went close on two more occasions before Chalrton’s Jason Euell turned a Gary Neville cross into his own net after good work from Ronaldo, who was causing the visiting side countless problems.

The United fans applauded the long-awaited return of midfielder Paul Scholes from a 5-month injury for the second half, and United continued to dominate their opponents with ease for the remainder of the game.

Kieran Richardson got United’s fourth on the hour mark. Only one minute after a Scholes throughball was put wide by Richardson, the England International scored with an excellent low shot from 25 metres after a run from the halfway line.

Another Ronaldo free-kick dipped just over the bar as the game began to fade, with United in complete control as Charlton posed little threat. Ronaldo fired over when well placed in the last minute before the referee brought United’s season to an end.

The Carling Cup trophy has been the only real positive of United’s campaign, with a poor Champions League showing and a season in Chelsea’s shadows in the Premiership. Thoughts now turn to squad strengthening, with United expected to make some major changes to the first team to prepare to challenge Jose Mourinho’s men next term.


Manchester Utd:
Van der Sar, Neville (Vidic 62), Ferdinand, Brown, Silvestre, Ronaldo, O’Shea (Scholes 45), Giggs, Richardson, Saha (Solskjaer 61), Rossi
Yellow Cards: Richardson (59)

Charlton:
Andersen, Sankofa (Fortune 45), Sorondo, Perry, Powell, Holland, Kishishev, Euell (Ambrose 61), Hughes, Bartlett, Darren Bent (Sam 45)

Goals:
[1-0] Saha, 19
[2-0] Ronaldo 23
[3-0] Euell, 35 (o.g.)
[4-0] Richardson, 58