United ease past weakened Wolves

Sir Alex Ferguson's 900th league game in charge of Manchester United ended in a 3-0 victory but the spotlight was trained on Wolves boss Mick McCarthy for his controversial team selection.

McCarthy made 10 changes to the side that won at Tottenham on Saturday, an astonishing number given Wolves are not in action again until Sunday's meeting with Burnley.

The visiting fans made their feelings known in no uncertain manner as goals from Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Antonio Valencia allowed the hosts to cruise home.

For half an hour the hardy band of travelling fans had plenty to cheer as their representatives gave everything, although if Rooney had taken the third-minute opening that presented itself when Darron Gibson's shot crashed into him, the landslide the team sheets suggested might have materialised.

Instead, Marcus Hahnemann, the one player to keep his place from White Hart Lane, made a close-range save, as he did to deny the England striker when he got on the end of Patrice Evra's low cross midway through the half.

But Rooney soon drilled home his 13th goal of the season from the penalty spot after Ronald Zubar handled Darron Gibson's corner.

Once in front, there was never any real suggestion United would not join Chelsea at the Premier League summit, having failed in that objective against Aston Villa at the weekend.

United doubled the lead when Vidic rose highest at a Gibson corner and got enough power into his header to carry it over the line,though Hahnemann should have done better having got a full hand to the ball.

The effort secured victory and the hosts knew it, which probably explained the sense of lethargy that gripped them at the start of the second period.

And it was game over when Dimitar Berbatov delivered a brilliant overhead kick into the path of Valencia, who drove a first-time shot into the roof of the net midway through the half.