W.Ham 2-4 Man U: Rooney treble turns game

Wayne Rooney scored a dramatic hat-trick as Manchester United produced another sensational late comeback to beat West Ham and edge closer to the Premier League title.

United appeared certain to open the door for Arsenal and Chelsea when their defence went into meltdown, gifting the Hammers two first-half penalties which Mark Noble duly dispatched.

But the leaders were rewarded for going for broke in the second half, Rooney starting the fightback with just 25 minutes remaining, completing his 14-minute treble from the spot before substitute Javier Hernandez sealed the points.

The result moved United eight points clear ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea before their respective games, while dragging West Ham back into the drop zone on goal difference.

Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson spent the build-up to today's game bemoaning refereeing decisions he claimed had gone against his side this season.

But United got the rub of the green today, with returning captain Nemanja Vidic lucky to stay on the field when it was still 2-0.

United went into the game having won only four away league games this season and were facing a Hammers side who had won their last three home games in all competitions.

They also thrashed United 4-0 in the Carling Cup in November but that was against a weakened side.

And the visitors showed they were more serious about today's game in the fourth minute when Robert Green was forced to tip over Chris Smalling's header from Ryan Giggs' fourth-minute corner.

United were dominant but fell behind in dramatic fashion in the 10th minute when a long ball from Thomas Hitzlsperger cleared the entire defence to put Carlton Cole clean through.

The striker hesitated and Patrice Evra looked to have recovered but the full-back inexplicably handled the ball and Lee Mason rightly pointed to the spot.

Noble sent Tomasz Kuszczak - in for the injured Edwin van der Sar - the wrong way and Upton Park erupted, but West Ham were immediately on the back foot again, giving United far too much time and space out wide.

A desperate clearance from Manuel da Costa denied Giggs but the Hammers settled and United pressed the self-destruct button again in the 24th minute.

Cole teased Vidic on the edge of the box and the Serbian took the bait, tripping the forward for an obvious foul.

It was tight as to whether the offence took place outside the box but Mason had no doubt and Noble blasted penalty number two into the roof of the net.

The bizarre pattern of the game continued and United looked certain to pull one back just past the half hour, the fit-again Park Ji-sung blasting a left-foot drive too close to Robert Green, who nevertheless pulled off a superb reaction save.

The visitors' frustration boiled over when Darron Gibson was booked for kicking out at Noble.

Hitzlsperger blasted a difficult volley from Gary O'Neils' cross wide and although the visitors ended the half stronger, Vidic pressed the self-destruct button again when he hauled down Demba Ba three minutes from the break.

The United captain was last man but was spared a red card, with Mason controversially appearing to decide Ba would not have retrieved the loose ball.

Ferguson threw on Hernandez for Evra after the interval, moving Giggs to left-back.

The substitute almost made an instant impression when his improvised flick from Giggs' cross sailed over.

Vidic could easily have earned a second yellow card after tangling again with Ba.

Rooney, who had orchestrated United's good play in the first half began to look lost.

His hesitation soon got him a hefty kick on the ankle from Da Costa, who was rightly yellow carded.

United went for broke in the 64th minute when Dimitar Berbatov replaced Park as they were awarded a free-kick, which saw them finally get back in the game as Rooney curled home from 25 yards.

Cole was replaced by Frederic Piquionne before Green saved from Berbatov from the tightest of angles.

Rooney came to the rescue again when Antonio Valencia's ball found him on the edge of the box and West Ham's defence allowed him to take a touch and fire low across Green.

United were rampant and were awarded a penalty of their own for handball with 12 minutes remaining.

Fabio's skill left Matthew Upson on the deck and when the defender got back up, the full-back kicked the ball against his arm.

While the Hammers opposed the decision Rooney stepped up to complete the most unlikely of hat-tricks.

Gibson should have made it 4-2 before West Ham threw on Victor Obinna and Robbie Keane for O'Neil and Noble.

Smalling survived another handball shout before Hernandez pounced on a piece of terrible defending six minutes from time to turn in Giggs' cross.

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Prem Lge: Rooney inspires United, Chelsea held

Wayne Rooney netted a second-half hat-trick to lift Manchester United to a 4-2 win at West Ham United, while Chelsea's title hopes were dented by a 1-1 draw at Stoke City.

After a lacklustre first half, the leaders looked in real trouble two goals behind but Rooney produced a virtuoso display, netting his 100th Premier League goal in the process, to keep his side in charge in the title race.

The Hammers were excellent in the first half and led at the break through two Mark Noble penalties, the first following a Patrice Evra handball and the second after Nemanja Vidic had felled Carlton Cole on the edge of the box.

Sir Alex Ferguson threw on Javier Hernandez at the interval and his appearance pepped up United's attack. The threat was there long before Rooney cut the deficit on 65 minutes with a stunning free kick.

Rooney showed his class is not restricted to set-pieces as he collected a pass on the edge of the box, took the ball in his stride and slotted beyond Robert Green.

The comeback was capped when United won a contentious penalty of their own, which Rooney stroked home to secured the three points. West Ham wilted in the face of the Red Devils onslaught and some sloppy defending allowed Hernandez to slide home a cross-shot from Ryan Giggs.

Meanwhile, Chelsea's chances of retaining the Premier League crown are hanging by a thread after a 1-1 draw at Stoke.

Jonathan Walters handed the hosts a dream start after eight minutes, outmuscling David Luiz before deceiving Michael Essien in the area and driving past Petr Cech, but the early setback only served to galvanise Chelsea. After creating a rash of chances, they eventually pulled level on 33 minutes, Didier Drogba combining with Nicolas Anelka before nodding home from the penalty spot.

Despite the introduction of Fernando Torres early in the second half, it was Stoke who looked the more likely until the final ten minutes, when Chelsea rattled the crossbar via Drogba. Stoke had already hit the woodwork twice themselves and had a header cleared off the line.

West Brom boss Roy Hodgson landed a blow on his former club as Liverpool were beaten 2-1 at the Hawthorns. The visitors were fortunate to enter the dressing room on level terms at half-time, having endured a testing opening period. Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger both limped out of the action, and the Reds failed to settle after the subsequent tactical reshuffle, with Pepe Reina forced to bail them out on several occasions.

But, against the run of play, it was Liverpool who moved into the lead shortly after the interval - Martin Skrtel took advantage of the Baggies' set-piece woes to unleash an unstoppable header. Hodgson's frustration was short-lived, however, as Chris Brunt equalised from the penalty spot on 62 minutes following a foul on Peter Odemwingie.

And it was another penalty that earned West Brom all three points, with Brunt again converting following Reina's foul on Odemwingie, who had bamboozled Soti Kyrgiakos earlier in the move.

The pressure on Gerard Houllier was eased as Aston Villa claimed a creditable 2-2 draw against Everton in a dramatic clash at Goodison Park.

An injury-ravaged Toffees side took a deserved lead five minutes before the break through Leon Osman, who made no mistake from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's through ball after the Russian had robbed Kyle Walker.

Under-fire Houllier, who has been plagued by rumours of dressing room unrest, was boosted on 47 minutes as Darren Bent, his ?24 million January signing, thumped the ball into the top of the net after meeting Stewart Downing's cross on the full. And it was Bent who edged Villa into the lead twenty minutes later in controversial circumstances, slotting home just seconds after Everton felt Jermaine Beckford's drive had crossed the line at the other end.

But that was not the end of the drama, as Everton were awarded a contentious penalty on 83 minutes, converted by Leighton Baines, following a collision between Phil Jagielka and Jean Makoun.

Birmingham City gained revenge for their FA Cup quarter-final defeat by snatching a 2-1 home win over Bolton Wanderers.

Kevin Phillips rewarded Alex McLeish's decision to hand him a rare start by rifling in on four minutes after a corner was half-cleared into his path. That strike laid the platform for a prolonged spell of Birmingham dominance - but it wasn't until the 60th minute that they doubled their lead, with Craig Gardner slamming home from the edge of the box after exchanging passes with Cameron Jerome.

Johan Elmander ensured a nervy finish by halving the deficit with 20 minutes remaining, with the Swede notching his first Premier League strike since Boxing Day after getting on the end of Kevin Davies' knockdown, but Blues held on.

Newcastle moved just one point away from the coveted 40 mark with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Wolves at St James' Park. Following a couple of near-misses, Kevin Nolan put the Magpies ahead after 22 minutes, connecting with a Shola Ameobi flick for his 12th league goal of the season, before Ameobi got himself on the scoresheet just before the interval, soaring highest to meet Peter Lovenkrands' centre.

Wolves' hopes of a comeback were crushed five minutes after the break when Lovenkrands rattled in his third of the season, before Jonas Gutierrez added a fourth after Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's consolation.

At the DW Stadium, Wigan and Tottenham Hotspur were forced to settle for a point after a 0-0 draw.

Roman Pavyluchenko's unsuccessful claim for a penalty was the most notable incident of a forgettable first 45, in which Spurs appeared guilty of having one eye on their midweek clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Tottenham were similarly lacklustre in the second half, with their midfield looking shorn of invention in the absence of Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale - but Peter Crouch did come close to snatching all three points when he sent a header narrowly over the top.

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Rooney - teams fear United

The England striker has first-hand knowledge of those shivers before kick-off having experienced it for Everton.

United have dropped just two points in front of their own fans so far this season, taking 43 points from a possible 45.

Rooney said: "We are always expected to win at home but we always believe we can win, no matter who we play.

"I have been a player in the away dressing room and I know the fear you feel before the game and you are not expected to get anything out of it.

"So we have that psychological advantage even before the game starts but we know we are good enough to beat anyone here."

Rooney has an unusual pre-match ritual as he explained to Inside United.

"The day before a game I always ask Albert (the kitman) which strip we will be wearing - shirt, shorts and socks - so I can try to visualise the game," he said.

Rooney says it would be "brilliant" if United were to win a record 19th title.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side are on course to achieve that feat as they face West Ham at Upton Park in pole position.

United are five points clear of Arsenal, who have a game in hand, while reigning champions Chelsea and Manchester City complete the top four.

England striker Rooney said: "I grew up an Everton fan so to be part of the team to overtake Liverpool's record would be brilliant. It would mean so much to us players as well as the fans.

"It is something I have been thinking about a lot. I know all the Everton fans want us to do it and hopefully we can.

"You look forward to every game at this stage and you've got to enjoy it, especially when you are in the running for a few trophies.

"It is exciting for the fans and it's exciting for the players knowing that you are just a few weeks away from possibly winning a major trophy or two."

Defender Jonny Evans will sit out the match as he is suspended after being sent off in the victory against Bolton.

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