Soccer Man. United suffers humilating defeat

Press, 1 September 1986, Page 24

Soccer Man. United suffers humilating defeat

NZPA-Reuter London Ron Atkinson's future at Old Trafford looked increasingly doubtful on Saturday when Manchester United suffered a humiliating 1-0 home defeat against the English soccer first division new boy, Charlton. After just three games, United is now firmly anchored at the bottom of the table without a point and Mr Atkinson may be well advised to start scanning the situations vacant columns. United finished last season without a prize in its magnificent trophy room and it was an open secret that the club was laying plans to bring in Aberdeen’s Alex Ferguson if the team failed to make an early impact this year.

At the other end of the first division, West Ham surrendered its 100 per cent record when it was held to a goalless draw at Oxford and it is now among a clutch of clubs with seven points out of nine.

Chariton was whipped, 4-0, at Nottingham Forest in a mid-week match and must have viewed its visit to Old Trafford with some trepidation.

But after enduring a first half football lesson, Charlton gained in confidence and the midfielder, Mark Stuart, brought it an unexpected victory when he beat the United goal-keeper, Chris Turner,

from the edge of the area in the forty-ninth minute. Charlton was unfortunate not to increase its lead soon afterwards. The wing, Robert Lee, was denied a second goal when United’s Scotland World Cup midfielder, Gordon Strachan, cleared off the line with Turner hopelessly out of position. It was Charlton’s first victory since its return to the top flight and the first time it had travelled to Old Trafford since 1956, a day on which Bobby Charlton made his United debut. The champion, Liverpool, rediscovered its winning habit with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Anfield, where it dropped two points in a midweek draw with Manchester City. English league Division one: Coventry 1, Everton 1; Liverpool 2, Arsenal 1; Luton 0, Newcastle 0; Manchester United 0, Charlton 1; Norwich 4, Southampton 3; Nottingham Forest 1, Watford 1; Oxford 0, West Ham 0; Queen’s Park Rangers 1, Aston Villa 0; Sheffield Wednesday 2, Chelsea 0; Tottenham 1, Manchester City 0; Wimbledon 1, Leicester 0. Division two: Birmingham 1, Derby 1; Crystal Palace 1, Stoke 0; Grimsby 0, Bradford 0; Leeds 0, Sheffield United 1; Millwall 1, Barnsley 0; Oldham 0, Hull 0; Plymouth 1, Reading 0; Portsmouth 1, Ipswich 1; Shrewsbury 0,

Blackburn 1; Sunderland 1, Brighton 1; West Bromwich 1, Huddersfield 0. Division three: Bournemouth 2, Newport 1; Bristol Rovers 1, Bolton 0; Bury 1, Chester 1; Carlisle 2, York 2; Chesterfield 3, Walsall 2; Darlington 2, Mansfield 1; Doncaster 2, Brentford 0; Fulham 0, Blackpool 1; Gillingham 1, Bristol City 1; Port Vale 1, Rotherham 1; Wigan 0, Middlesbrough 2. Division four: Aidershot 1, Wolverhampton 2; Burnley 1, Scunthorpe 0; Cambridge 1, Halifax 0; Cardiff 0, Rochdale 0; Crewe 1, Hereford 2; Orient 1, Peterborough 0; Preston 2. Swansea 1; Wrexham 1, Lincoln 1. Colchester 1, Exeter 1; Southend 1, Hartlepool 1; Stockport 0, Tranmere 2. Scottish League Premier division: Aberdeen 2, Dundee 0; Clydebank 1, Falkirk 2; Dundee United 3, St Mirren 0; Hamilton 0, Motherwell .3; Hibernian 1, Hearts 3. Division one: Brechin 0, Forfar 1; Dunfermline 2, East Fife 4; Montrose 1, Airdrieonians 2; Morton 0, Dumbarton 3; Partick 0, Clyde 0; Queen of the South 2, Kilmarnock 1. Division two: Albion 1, Alloa 2; Ayr 2, Arbroath 1; East Stirling 0, Cowdenbeath 1; Raith 2, Queen’s Park 2; Stenhousemuir 0, Meadowbank 1; Stirling I, St Johnstone 0; Stranraer 2, Berwick 1.