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Manchester United logo
Premier League
May 6, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Hull logo

3-1

Wilson (31', 61'), van Persie (86')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Fryatt (63')

Match Analysis: Manchester United 3-1 Hull City

Sports Mole dissects the action as Manchester United record a 3-1 win over Hull City in the Premier League.

Teenage forward James Wilson scored twice on his first-team debut for Manchester United as the current Premier League champions recorded a 3-1 win over Hull City in their final home league game of the season.

Wilson, 18, completed his brace after 61 minutes, but Hull were back in the match moments later when Matty Fryatt found the bottom corner from distance.

United made sure of the points late on, however, when Robin van Persie arrowed one into the corner of the net.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Premier League rivals.

Match statistics

Man United
Shots: 18
On target: 7
Possession: 55%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 13

Hull
Shots: 2
On target: 2
Possession: 45%
Corners: 0
Fouls: 9

Was the result fair?

There is no question that United deserved to pick up all the points at Old Trafford this evening. Aside from a brief period of pressure in the second half, Hull were not really in the match, with the home side dominating possession of the ball and creating the better chances throughout the 90 minutes. Even when the visitors opened their tally through Fryatt, United were never really in danger of throwing away their lead. It was far from vintage from the hosts against a team whose focus was clearly on the FA Cup final against Arsenal on May 17, but it would have been unjust had all the points not remained in Manchester.

Man United's performance

There was certainly a sense of excitement surrounding Old Trafford when the teamsheets were gathered. Wilson and Tom Lawrence both made their first-team debuts and while Wilson got the goals, Lawrence was also extremely impressive, demonstrating his pace and ability to find a pass throughout his 70 minutes on the field. It proved to be a frustrating first 45 minutes despite Wilson's goal, with United struggling to create too many clear opportunities despite their domination of the ball. The match opened up in the second half, however, with Shinji Kagawa and Adnan Januzaj putting in impressive performances. The biggest cheer of the evening arrived when Ryan Giggs entered the field 20 minutes from time and the Welshman showed that there is still plenty of life left in his legs. Overall, it was an extremely positive night for United, with a number of squad players gaining minutes and two first-team debuts. The only blot came in the first period when Phil Jones was forced to depart - and later travel to hospital - after picking up a shoulder injury. The centre-back's replacement was Nemanja Vidic, who also waved goodbye to the Old Trafford faithful for the final time this evening.

Hull's performance

In truth, Hull were poor this evening. Head coach Steve Bruce made a number of changes to his XI, which was not surprising with an FA Cup final against Arsenal fast approaching. The Tigers failed to record a single attempt in the first period and while they improved in the second half, it was a performance that lacked creativity and passion. Fryatt produced their best moment when he struck a long-range effort into the bottom corner, but positive periods of possession and clear opportunities were very much at a premium for the visitors. Against what was a youthful and under-strength United side, Hull never really got into the match. For long periods, it almost had the feel of a pre-season fixture, which is not befitting of Bruce's character.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Adnan Januzaj: Wilson will get the headlines tomorrow and rightly so following his brace, but it was Januzaj that was the star turn this evening. The Belgian midfielder was United's brightest attacking avenue in the first period and could and perhaps should have been awarded two penalties. It was also the youngster's free kick that preceded Wilson's opener. Put simply, Hull could not deal with the pace and movement of the 19-year-old, who also created a number of chances for his teammates in the second period. The only thing missing from his performance was a goal.

Biggest gaffe

Just what Hull midfielder David Meyler had in mind in the latter stages of the contest is a question that only he can answer. After a fair challenge with Januzaj, the 24-year-old appeared to stamp on the leg of the teenager. The referee did not spot the incident, but it would be a surprise if retrospective action was not taken. It is an incident and a decision that could see him banned for the FA Cup final. It was just a ridiculous moment from the Republic of Ireland international.

Referee performance

On another night, referee Craig Pawson might have awarded United four penalties. A couple were debatable, but the home side will feel that they should have had at least two in the first period. First, Maynor Figueroa clearly brought Januzaj to the ground inside the box, before the Hull right-back handled in a separate incident. Pawson also failed to spot the above incident involving Januzaj and Meyler, but it was a long way from his glance. Despite the lack of intensity throughout the match, it was a fairly busy evening for Pawson, who issued two yellow cards following a couple of poor challenges from Marouane Fellaini and Meyler.

What next?

Man United: United are still in with a chance of finishing sixth this season, but would need to beat Southampton away on Sunday and hope that Tottenham Hotspur lose at home to Aston Villa.

Hull: Hull return to league action at home to Everton on Sunday.

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Manchester United's English striker James Wilson celebrates scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Hull City at Old Trafford in Manchester, northwest England on May 6, 2014
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