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 .
doc_bio_tags: B I O O O O O O O O B O O O O B I O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O B I O B I O O O O O O O O O B I I I O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O B O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O B O O O B O O O O B B O O O O O O O O O O B O O O B O O B O O O O O O O O B B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O B I O B O O O O O O O B O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O B O O O B O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O B O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O B O O O O B O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O B O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O