Fletcher 31

                                                                                  Higginbotham 54 (og)

                                                                                                       Park 84

Manchester United’s emphatic Old Trafford victory over Stoke proved insufficient to steal the EPL title at the death.

The atmosphere had been dulled by news of events at Stamford Bridge by the time Darren Fletcher stabbed home the opening goal after a number of goalmouth ricochets.

Ryan Giggs himself doubled the hosts’ advantage with a neat left-foot finish after a fine run and left-wing cross by much-maligned striker Dimitar Berbatov.

Berbatov had had an early shot blocked and a header against the crossbar, while Wayne Rooney’s left-foot shot just before the break was brilliantly blocked by Robert Huth.

And any remote hopes of a Stoke revival were dashed when former Red Danny Higginbotham diverted Rooney’s 54^th minute cross into his own net.

Asmir Begovic made a fine save from Nani, while United keeper Edwin Van der Sar was called into rare action by Rory Delap’s diving header and an effort from Danny Pugh.

But drama arrived thirteen minutes from time when Wayne Rooney substituted himself as he felt a slight twinge from his recent groin injury.

The injury, though, is not thought serious, and his eventual replacement Park Ji-Sung rounded off the scoring with a late diving header from another Giggs corner.