GOONERSGUIDE ENGLISH COMMUNITY SHIELD NEWS SECTION

This is our English Community Shield news section where we provide any news items that might have a significant effect on the matches being played - or sports betting in general.

English Community Shield News :: Manchester United win shield on penalties after scoreless draw

Posted on 2008-08-10 by Gooner

Manchester United needed a penalty shoot-out to capture the Community Shield despite producing a dominant display against Portsmouth at Wembley.

Pompey failed to score three of their four spot-kicks to hand victory to Sir Alex Ferguson's side. United had completely controlled the game but wasted a series of chances.

Darren Fletcher somehow failed to turn in Nani's cross and had a lob turned on to the bar by David James, who also denied Carlos Tevez with a superb stop.

Ferguson has made signing a new striker his priority as his side prepare to open the defence of their Premier League title against Newcastle on 17 August and, on this evidence, it is clear why.

The number of chances that United wasted will reinforce Ferguson's belief he needs to make a goalscorer his first summer signing.

Pompey created next to nothing in the first half, with their £18.5m strike partnership of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe barely having a sniff of the ball, let alone a meaningful chance.

And United stayed well on top in the second half with Ferguson's side continuing to pour forward.

It took 76 minutes for Harry Redknapp's side to muster a shot on target - a looping effort by substitute John Utaka that presented an easy catch for Edwin van der Sar.

But United's inability to find the net meant Pompey took the game to a shoot-out, only to fluff their best chance of victory.

Lassana Diarra set the precedent when he blasted their first spot-kick high into the stands and, although Defoe converted his effort, Arnold Mvuemba saw his shot saved before Johnson missed to hand United victory.

Tevez, Giggs and Michael Carrick all made no mistake for United who pick up the first piece of silverware of the new season.

Sourced From : BBC Sport

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