United pack too great a punch for Cats

ROY KEANE turned to the youth team in the hope of helping Sunderland to a sensational festive result.

Those wishes, however, were soon erased by a first half performance from Manchester United of the quality of Premier League champions.

Young Martyn Waghorn does not turn 18 until next month, yet he was given the perfect Christmas present by being handed his professional debut against a United team full of youthful promise.

And while the striker from South Shields, given the opportunity to shine after scoring goals galore for the Academy and reserves, is nursing a heavy defeat this morning, he should also have learned a few tricks along the way.

Starting in his preferred forward position, the left-footed striker spent much of the opening 45 minutes as an observer, while a couple of the best players in the world ran amok at the Stadium of Light.

After Wayne Rooney had competently given Manchester United the lead with a precise finish after 20 minutes, there was no stopping the club where Keane won seven Premier League titles during more than a decade at Old Trafford as a player.

All too often Sunderland's stray passes gifted the initiative to the visitors and, in the fashion Sir Alex Ferguson has drummed into his squad, the Black Cats were made to pay.

It was from a failure to hold on to possession that United extended their lead to three before the break.

Louis Saha completed a fluid counter-attack on the half hour before Cristiano Ronaldo curled in the perfect free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

Saha's second, a penalty four minutes from time, secured a fifth victory in a row and it took United top of the Premier League again, before rivals Arsenal played last night.

Given how Keane - who will be worried by the fact his side have the second worst goal difference in the division - was once thrust into the spotlight as a raw teenager at Anfield for Nottingham Forest, on reflection it was perhaps not the most surprising decision to include Waghorn.

FORGET festive celebrations, this was a Boxing Day fixture that will have left Sunderland fans with little optimism for the New Year.

Losing to the Premier League champions may not be the hardest result to take, but the manner in which United were able to cruise to victory will alarm Wearside folk.

Manager Roy Keane has made no secret of the fact that he is looking to strengthen in the January transfer window and this latest reversal has hammered home the point.

Players capable of turning on the style in the top-flight are required, otherwise Championship football could well beckon again come May.

There is plenty of hard work and endeavour within the Sunderland squad and that was evident again here. The problem, however, is proving to be scoring goals and not conceding them.

Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Louis Saha's double found their way past Craig Gordon without a reply.

To stay in this division, though, requires positive results against those teams around them and that is why Sunderland's next fixture at the Stadium of Light - against Bolton - has a much bigger meaning.

The Irishman has regularly spoken of his actions being carried out with the late Brian Clough in mind.

And, considering Liverpool were the champions back in 1990, it was fitting Keane had waited for the visit of the best team in the Premier League to hand his own teenage prodigy a first team opportunity.

Despite the class and artistry of their opponents, Sunderland started with a clear intention not to be overawed, epitomised by the way Waghorn chased down full-back Wes Brown in the opening moments. It was an attitude, however, that failed to be maintained.

Keane has never been afraid to change things and, regardless of the fury he felt cost his side at least a point at Reading on Saturday, Waghorn was one of three fresh faces in his starting line-up.

But while he was very much an unfamiliar name, there was no disguising the man who went close to breaking the deadlock in the tenth minute.

After being tripped 22 yards from goal by former United defender Danny Higginbotham, Ronaldo was handed the chance to curl one into the Sunderland net.

Instead Craig Gordon stood firm to parry away.

There were a couple of wayward long drives from Kenwyne Jones and Dickson Etuhu to raise the seeds of optimism for the hosts, but the early Sunderland drive was dealt with by United.

After Ross Wallace dwelled too long in possession, Brown and Ronaldo completed a perfect one-two before the former rolled through a pass for Rooney to chase.

There was a hint of offside, although the linesman's flag quite rightly stayed down because of Higginbotham's position and the England striker slotted into Gordon's bottom left corner with consummate ease.

That goal arrived after a terrific move down the left ended when Saha side-footed wide of the near post when O'Shea had burst forward to cross.

But there was no mistake made after a similar chance arose for the Frenchman ten minutes before the break.

Danny Collins' attempted punt was headed straight into Ronaldo's feet by Michael Carrick. The Portuguese winger freed Rooney down the left, who cut inside before delivering a teasing cross for Saha to finish.

It had suddenly become far too easy for United and they would have been another goal to the good earlier had Gordon not made two quick-fire stops to deny Ronaldo, from another free-kick, and Brown, from the subsequent rebound.

United keeper Tomasz Kuszcak was forced to make a fine finger-tip save to turn Wallace's long-range drive for a corner, but the divide between the two sides was clearly evident.

And, after the sixth successive away defeat at the Madejski Stadium at the weekend, the chances of Sunderland climbing out of the bottom three had disappeared before half-time.

After Kenwyne Jones had stupidly tried a trick too many in his own half, Dwight Yorke committed a foul on Darren Fletcher just outside the Sunderland box.

Ronaldo, who had found the target with his first two efforts, casually curled in a perfect free-kick that drew smiles of appreciation from sections of the home support.

Having dropped so far behind, Keane attempted to restrict the deficit by playing Jones up front on his own for the remainder of the game, meaning Waghorn was asked to play left-midfield.

Jones brought a low save out of Kuszczak. In the main, however, it was business as usual, despite the fact Ronaldo was rested for much of the second half after being replaced by Ji-Sung Park.

Nani and Rooney went close to adding to Sunderland's woes before Saha eventually did, after Nani had been brought down by Collins.

The home fans dispersed quietly, although they are unlikely to show similar restraint if a favourable result does not materialise when Bolton arrive in the North-East on Saturday.