The Hindu : Sport / Football : McCarthy double sets up Rovers triumph

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McCarthy double sets up Rovers triumph

Manchester United cuts Arsenal’s lead

— PHOTO: AFP

BRILLIANT EFFORT: Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (right) scores during the EPL match against Newcastle United.

BLACKBURN: South African international Benni McCarthy scored two penalties as Blackburn Rovers eased to a 4-1 Premier League win over neighbour Bolton on Sunday.

McCarthy’s goals came either side of Kevin Davies’ equaliser before David Bentley and Morten Gamst Pedersen added one each to earn Blackburn the three points at Ewood Park.

The South African had only scored once this year and that was also from the penalty spot but he made no mistake to twice drive the ball past Jussi Jaaskelainen.

McCarthy’s second, in the 67th minute, came after Davies had levelled just after the interval and Bolton looked the winner but Bentley’s header killed off any hope of another come-back before Pedersen rifled in a fourth in added time.

The two sides could not have had more different preparations with Blackburn relaxing with a trip to the United States and Bolton scrapping its way to a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup with a goalless draw at Atletico Madrid in midweek.

On Saturday, Manchester United moved to within three points of leader Arsenal with a thumping 5-1 victory at struggling Newcastle. Brilliant braces from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, and an injury-time goal from former Magpie Louis Saha, saw Kevin Keegan’s listless side crumble in the face of familiar pressure.

Having dipped below its normally impeccable standards at Lyon in midweek in the Champions League, the visitor was in no mood to allow three Premier League points to elude it at St. James’ Park.

The results:

Reading 1 (Shorey 90+4) lost to Aston Villa 2 (Young 45, Harewood 84); Blackburn 4 (McCarthy 25-pen, 67-pen, Bentley 71, Gamst Pedersen 90) bt Bolton 1 (Davies 50).

On Saturday: Newcastle United 1 (Abdoulaye Faye 79) lost to Manchester United 5 (Wayne Rooney 25, 80, Cristiano Ronaldo 45, 56, Louis Saha 90+1).

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