Saints are laid bare by Teddy hat-trick blast

United were sent on their way by a slip from Paul Jones who allowed a tame effort from Andy Cole to slip through his legs early in the game. Cole grabbed his second late on.

Matthew Oakley passed a late fitness on a bruised calf to give Saints a boost at Old Trafford where they have won only once in their last 27 League visits.

Kevin Davies replaced the injured Matthew Le Tissier and manager Glenn Hoddle also recalled Mark Draper as he reverted to four at the back with Stuart Ripley dropping down to the bench and Francis Benali was given his first call up of the season.

United were still without influential skipper Roy Keane with a hamstring injury while Ronny Johnsen was sidelined by an ankle injury.

However, Teddy Sheringham recovered to lead the attack with Andy Cole.

A penetrating ball by Brown almost put Cole in on goal but he was judged to be offside as El Khalej intercepted and then Jones just beat Butt to another piercing pass this time from Beckham.

Davies robbed Irwin and almost set up Pahars but his shot was deflected behind by Brown for the first corner of the game on six minutes. But Kachloul's kick was easily caught by Barthez.

Saints won a second corner moment later when a dangerous cross by Bridge was knocked behind by Gary Neville but again Kachloul's delivery was poor and easily kicked clear of the near post.

Suddenly Saints were looking dangerous and Pahars easily placed the ball into the path of Kachloul who tried an audacious kick from 25 yards which dropped over the bar.

Moments later Saints went behind and remarkably it was almost a carbon copy of Le Tissier's laughable goal at Old Trafford last season when his harmless long-range shot trickled through the legs of Massimo Taibi.

This time the victim was Saints keeper Jones. It looked a simple pick up as he stooped to gather a straight forward 25-yard drive from COLE but on a greasy surface the ball squirmed through his legs and trickled into the net to give United and eighth minute lead. It was even at the same end of the ground as Taibi's mess-up.

There was another scare as Jones dropped an inswinging corner from Beckham but he quickly retrieved the ball.

With no passing options Kachloul tried his luck low from 25 yards but again the French keeper smothered it well.

Then a deep cross by Kachloul was met by a firm header at the far post by Davies but Barthez again saved. Saints recovered well from their early setback and were showing some ambition as Tessem let fly from 25 yards but his shot was wide.

But they almost fell further behind when Cole played Giggs into the byline. His pull-back found Sheringham who seemed certain to score but missed his kick completely.

Saints had a good chance on the half hour when Pahars got the better of Gary Neville on the left and pushed down the inside to Kachloul who in turn squared it for Draper. But from 20 yards the midfielder scooped his shot over the bar.

Oakley did well to block a powerful shot by Giggs and the resulting corer by Beckham saw Sheringham head powerfully wide.

Sheringham headed just wide from a return ball by Beckham. Saints were defending strongly but struggling to find a way through.

Seventy seconds into injury-time United stretched their lead when SHERINGHAM got the ball on the left edge of the area and drove a beautiful and perfectly weighted chip over Jones and into the top right corner. Half-time:

Man United 2

Saints 0

It was a strangely low key start to the second-half until Scholes found Beckham in space on the right and his centre flashed across the goalmouth with Cole just unable to get a touch.

That seemed to rouse United who went three up on 50 minutes when Oakley was robbed in midfield by Scholes who swept the ball to Beckham in space on the right. He played it in low for SHERINGHAM who produced a clincial finish from 14 yards.

Sheringham completed his hat-trick on 54 minutes and again Saints contributed to their own downfall with another loose moment as Dodd's pass towards Tessem was intercepted by Butt who pushed the ball forward for Cole. He set up SHERINGHAM who steered a low 15-yard shot into the bottom righthand corner.

With the game won United took off Gary Neville on 58-minutes and sent on young defender Wallwork

Giggs intercepted Lundekvam's clearance ahead of Dodd and wriggled into the penalty area but his cross was just too high for Cole who was lurking unmarked and ready to score.

After more than a month out with injury Tessem was tiring and after 65 minutes he was replaced by Beattie .

On 68 minutes Giggs picked up a half clearance on the edge of the area and smashed in a drive which crashed on the inside of the bar before bouncing to safety.

Giggs had a second chance moments later but Dodd got across well as the winger wormed his way into the area.

Lundekvam was harshly penalised for a foul on Beckham whose theatrical fall won him a free-kick 20 yards out. Beckham took it himself but his dipping shot dropped onto the roof of the net.

Oakley, with pre-match fitness doubts, was feeling the pace and made way for Marsden on 71 minutes. Almost immediately Cole robbed El Khalej in the penalty area but Dodd got across quickly to block at the expense of a corner.

But it was only a temporary reprieve. Beckham's left wing corner was flicked on at the near post by Scholes and COLE powered in to head home at the far post.

Cole though was denied the chance of a hat-trick as he made way for Solskjaer with 16 minutes to go while Sheringham went off in favour of Yorke.

Saints almost pulled one back when Pahars did well to intercept a cross from the right cutting out Barthez but as Davies and Beattie powered in Phil Neville got their first to head over his own bar.

With nine minutes to go El Khalej went off holding his hamstring and was replaced in the centre of defence by Benali, making his first senior appearance of the season after breaking a leg.