Background: There’d been a major disturbance in the force at Manchester United on the eve of this game, with Roy Keane making the shock announcement on the Friday that he had left the club. But with the Reds due at The Valley on Saturday afternoon, to face Alan Curbishley’s well-established Charlton Athletic side, there was no time to mope.
The goal: Though the United firmament burned one star less bright after Keane’s departure, two shining beacons combined to score this game’s winner. With the game poised at 1-1 with 20 minutes left, Wayne Rooney gained possession just inside his own half and proceeded to show the bullish brilliance that made him a thrilling young talent.