Rooney scores from spot in Manchester United win

Wayne Rooney scored from the penalty spot ending his five month wait for a goal as Manchester United earned a  comfortable Premier League win over West Ham.  Rooney's 33rd-minute penalty after Jonathan Spector had fouled Ryan Giggs will hardly enter his personal haul of fame. But it ends the talk of his scoring drought and should go some way to easing the 24 yr old back to top form after a slow start to the season. 

Second-half efforts from Nani and Dimitar Berbatov, who took his tally to three in four games, sealed victory to keep United in touch with early leaders Chelsea. But for West Ham, the international break only provides further opportunity to worry about the poor start.

Without a point under Avram Grant's stewardship and unconvincing in Carling Cup triumph against lowly Oxford at Upton Park on Tuesday, the Hammers are now bottom of the table and facing a fight to preserve their top flight status.   Nani created several chances, one of which should have provided United with some halftime daylight.  Darren Fletcher was a similar distance out when he belted a drive that was destined for the top corner before Green pushed it away.

Capello could only wistfully wonder what might have been. At least he did have the certain knowledge that his top striker no longer has to worry about how long it is since he last scored.  Thirteen matches for club and country had passed since Rooney put United ahead in their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on March 30.

That drought has been a popular debating point outside Old Trafford but Rooney kept any anxiety he might have been feeling well hidden as he strode up to take the penalty after Spector had been beaten by Giggs and then made a clumsy attempt to retrieve the situation.  Wayne Rooney had the confidence to engage in a bit of kidology with Green before sending his international teammate the wrong way, the celebrations somewhat subdued to say the least.

Tossing away those points at Fulham will gnaw away at Ferguson for some time. Any fear of a repeat was dispelled within five minutes of the restart when Nani, one of the chief culprits on that occasion, profited from some excellent approach work from Scholes and Rooney, dumped Danny Gabbidon on his backside, then beat Green with ease.  Given West Ham's almost complete inability to create anything of their own, it was effectively game over.

Kieron Dyer wasted a decent chance when he fired into the side netting but on this evidence it looks like being a bleak winter for the Londoners, especially if they fall victim to a late attempt to prise Parker away.  United duly collected a third when Berbatov propelled a perfectly executed volley beyond Green after Nani had charged into the box and clipped a cross to the far post.