Van Persie brace hands United victory in the Community Shield

Update 15.54

MAN UNITED HAVE secured a  comfortable 2-0 victory over Wigan in this afternoon’s Community Shield.

The first goal came in the 7th minute, as Patrice Evra produced an inch-perfect cross that Robin van Persie met with a perfectly judged header.

United re-established their dominance in the second half, when Van Persie doubled his side’s advantage after 59 minutes, as his strike found the back of the net via a deflection off James Perch.

With just over 20 minutes remaining, Antonio Valencia almost made it three, but his deflected effort went narrowly wide, and the game petered out in the final minutes, with neither side really threatening.

Wigan had initially held their own after the goal in the first half, proving difficult to break down, while also coming close occasionally down the other end.

James McClean probably had the Latics’ best chance, as he outpaced Smalling, before producing a cross-shot that no one could get on the end of.

Shortly thereafter, Shaun Maloney’s free-kick to the back post found Emerson Boyce unmarked, yet he headed it across the box, when he would have been better off going for goal, as it eluded Leon Barnett at the far post.

Meanwhile, for United, Welbeck’s powerful shot had to be parried away by Scott Carson, though clear chances were few and far between for much of the first half.

There was an early moment of concern for David Moyes’ men however, with Rafael coming off for Chris Smalling, after picking up an injury.

United – De Gea; Rafael, Vidic, Jones, Evra; Zaha, Carrick, Cleverley, Giggs; Van Persie, Welbeck. Substitutes: Lindegaard, Evans, Anderson, Smalling, Valencia, Kagawa, Januzaj.

Wigan – Carson; Boyce, Barnett, Perch, Crainey; Watson, McArthur, McCarthy; McClean, Holt, Maloney. Substitutes: Nicholls, Gomez, Espinoza, McCann, McManaman, Fortune, Dicko

YouTube credit: Alexander Veresha

YouTube credit: FutbolOnlayn

First published at 14.23

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