document: West Ham 2 Man United 4 : Rooney bags a hat-trick leaves title in sight Wayne Rooney delivered the sort of hat-trick which marks him out as one of the few extraordinary footballing talents this country possesses , yet few could have seen it coming . The Manchester United striker was not playing particularly well before the pivotal 63rd minute of this game , and neither were his team-mates , even if West Ham 's two-goal lead did flatter the east London club . What then transpired in a 15-minute spell demonstrated all of Rooney 's considerable qualities . Perhaps inevitably , he went on to sully it with his expletive into a TV camera . But while his capacity to be a role model will always be dubious at best , his football ability is less in doubt . United 's title challenge was faltering here yesterday . Trailing to two penalties , they looked unconvincing even against a distinctly shaky West Ham side . Indeed , even if United go on to glory , it will be difficult to escape the conclusion that they would be the least inspiring of Sir Alex Ferguson 's 12 Premier League title teams . However , in terms of sheer belligerence and indefatigability , they are unsurpassed . '' `` Going for it is important to our club and we played like champions , '' '' said Ferguson . '' `` We kept our heads up and we did n't lose faith in our ability . '' '' He was right , of course . This United side have no concept of being beaten , even on a day when Nemanja Vidic was doing his utmost to remove himself from the shortlists for player-of-the-season awards , his lax positioning and state of seemingly permanent panic infecting Chris Smalling and Patrice Evra . Only when a bright new left-back prospect was introduced at half-time in place of Evra did United 's defence steady . His name ? Ryan Giggs . '' `` Once we polish him up a bit he 'll be OK , '' '' joked Ferguson . In fact , asked to play a new position at 37 , Giggs performed so well he might consider adding a few seasons to his career as a defender . As for West Ham , they will take heart from a well-executed start to the game , rather than the abject surrender by the finish . '' `` You do n't count on a win against Manchester United , even if we wanted to win it , '' '' said manager Avram Grant . '' `` The other games are more important . '' '' Despite starting brightly , with Smalling heading over after four minutes , United capitulated in unusual fashion . When Scott Parker launched a hopeful long ball on 11 minutes , every schoolboy could have told Vidic and Smalling that it should have been met with a firm clearing header . Instead , it bounced and Carlton Cole flicked the ball up against Evra 's hand . Referee Lee Mason pointed to the appropriate spot and Mark Noble dispatched the penalty confidently , low to his left . In 25 minutes was invited to try again . Cole , displaying uncommon confidence , sold a dummy and raced past Vidic , only to be felled by the Serbia defender . The first foul was just outside the area , but so marginal that it was difficult for anyone but Vidic to berate the referee . Noble stepped up and this time went high and right . United 's season was in jeopardy . Despite Rob Green having to parry away a Ji-Sung Park shot , West Ham had found their stride . Thomas Hitzlsperger sliced wide before Vidic failed to deal with yet another long ball on 42 minutes . As Demba Ba wriggled away , the defender wrestled him to the ground . A yellow card was produced , presumably because the ball was bouncing towards Tomasz Kuszczak , standing in for groin strain victim Edwin van der Sar . Vidic survived that potential sending-off but when he felled Ba on 49 minutes , a second yellow seemed inevitable . It never came . Even when Rooney lined up a free-kick on the edge of the area on 63 minutes , there had been little indication as to where the inspiration for a United comeback might come from . But it would have been difficult to strike the shot any better - just above the wall and high into the top right-hand corner - and as the ball struck the net , the premature optimism of Upton Park deflated instantaneously . On 72 minutes , Antonio Valencia 's ball found Rooney and with his first touch he took out a posse of defenders ; with his second he lashed it into the net . Now there was no doubt about where this game was going . Fabio da Silva flicked the ball past Frederic Piquionne on 78 minutes and avoided an ill-advised lunge from Matthew Upson , who then handled Fabio 's pass from the touchline . Rooney 's penalty found the corner and he embarked on his ill-judged celebration . There was still time for Javier Hernandez to bolster his burgeoning reputation with a goal from close range on 84 minutes from a deflected Giggs cross .
extractive_keyphrases: faltering teams inevitably parry difficult ability smalling introduced flicked wall model indication raced uncommon unusual avoided wrestled shaky games bounced remove utmost wanted presumably starting standing second clearing shot marginal season flatter penalties dubious premier league hattrick pivotal 63rd footballing talents tv camera country possesses trailing ferguson london club belligerence indefatigability wayne rooney the manchester united striker west ham football
abstractive_keyphrases: united 4 rooney rooney's sir alex ferguson's west ham's twogoal united's