Portsmouth 1 - 4 Manchester United

Rooney hits hat-trick in humbling

Updated: November 28, 2009, 8:02 AM UK

Avram Grant's reign at Chelsea ended with defeat on penalties to Manchester United and his first game in charge of Portsmouth saw Red Devils forward Wayne Rooney score two crucial spot-kicks within his hat-trick at Fratton Park.

• Premier League: Grant's Pompey beaten, City held
• Premier League Picture Gallery

• Ferguson hails Giggs

Grant, who has taken over from Paul Hart and will be rubber-stamped as manager next week when paperwork is completed, could not have asked for a tougher opening game than against the Premier League champions but there was hope of a result when Kevin-Prince Boateng levelled, also with a penalty.

Sir Alex Ferguson served the first half of his two-match touchline ban for criticising referee Alan Wiley and he may ask why Mike Dean awarded Pompey their penalty - but he will have no complaints with the way Rooney wrapped up the points after the break. Ryan Giggs added the fourth late on.

Grant and Ferguson last faced each other 18 months ago during the Champions League final in Moscow when John Terry lost his footing in the penalty shoot-out and Chelsea let the European crown slip away.

There was a downpour on this occasion too. This time Grant was in charge of a team that started the weekend bottom of the league and three points from their nearest rivals, while Ferguson was looking to gain ground on leaders Chelsea.

If Pompey have a fighting chance of staying up Grant will need the players left over from a fire sale over the last year - but he was denied the service of England goalkeeper David James due to a calf injury and Asmir Begovic started.

For United, it was a case of whether Ferguson's absence in the dressing room would be a factor, although he had communication lines in place to assistant Mike Phelan and was hoping the din at Pompey's "rickety'' stadium would not drown him out.

Sat next to chief executive David Gill in the directors' box, Ferguson saw his side enjoy plenty of possession early on and press when the hosts were on the ball.

Paul Scholes had the first effort of the match, firing over when Giggs rolled a corner to the edge of the penalty area where his team-mate was left unmarked.

Pompey threatened within a minute and Tomasz Kuszczak, in because Edwin van der Sar had a knock to his knee, was required to block bravely when a ball was lobbed over the top of United's defence and found Aruna Dindane.

Encouraged by this opening, Dindane also fired wide from long distance and headed off-target when unmarked from Jamie O'Hara's cross. O'Hara himself had an effort tipped over after Frederic Piquionne nodded in his direction on the edge of the area.

Despite the Pompey attacks, United were ahead in the 25th minute through Rooney.

Antonio Valencia burst forward and exchanged passes with Rooney, and when the winger pulled the ball back for his team-mate in the penalty area, the England forward waited for a clumsy challenge to arrive from Michael Brown.

Dean pointed to the spot immediately and Rooney tucked away the penalty.

Pompey were level, however, on the half-hour mark, although why Dean awarded it was open to debate. Kuszczak climbed above Piquionne, who appeared to have his shirt pulled by Nemanja Vidic.

With United in shock, Boateng smashed in the penalty after missing against Stoke last time out.

Pompey enjoyed a spell of pressure before the break but United were ahead three minutes after the restart.

There was nothing controversial about this effort, just Giggs weighting the ball perfectly through Pompey's defence for Rooney to place his finish home, his 10th of the season for United.

His hat-trick came in the 54th minute, from the penalty spot. Piquionne was penalised for fouling Giggs - and Rooney sent Begovic the wrong way from 12 yards.

Valencia could have added to the goals when he waltzed through the Pompey defence.

Boateng had Pompey's best chance to get back in the game but he fired over from a promising position, and there would be no way back for Grant's men.

Giggs netted with a free-kick three minutes from full-time for their fourth goal, while John Utaka hit the crossbar with a scissors-kick at the death for Pompey.

Ferguson hails Giggs

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Ryan Giggs after the veteran midfielder netted on the eve of his 36th birthday.

Ferguson said: "He's an exceptional player. A rarity. He will play for two years yet. Happy Birthday. He's had it 36 times in his life, wait until he gets to 67. I think he'll be retired by then.''

Pompey's goal came from the penalty spot, with Kevin-Prince Boateng scoring, although an offence did not seem apparent when Mike Dean pointed to the spot. Replays suggested Nemanja Vidic tugged Frederic Piquionne's shirt.

"The linesman has put the referee under terrible pressure and he has to listen to the linesman who is 50 yards away,'' Ferguson said. "You see these things every weekend in the penalty box. If you are saying everyone who wrestles at a corner or tugs at a jersey concedes a penalty kick then that that's fine. But it doesn't happen that way and this linesman has changed the whole course of normal decision making.

"So it was a very disappointing result for us to get a penalty against us in that situation. Half-time came at a good time for us and the important thing was to keep our discipline and composure and play our football.''

Rooney earned the first penalty, then Giggs set up his second and earned the penalty for the England striker's hat-trick.

"With strikers you always want them to score, he's got the matchball which is nice,'' Ferguson said.

Grant lost his final game as Chelsea manager to United and suffered defeat again - although he took heart from the performance and feels his side have the ability to climb from their place at the bottom of the league.

"It was a strange game,'' he said. "If I came from the moon and heard the result I would have thought Man Utd played great and Portsmouth was not so good but we played very well. I thought we played better. We created a lot of chances and conceded soft goals.

"Our goalkeeper almost didn't touch the ball and Tomasz Kuszczak made three great saves. Now our target is staying in the league, it won't be easy but it will be possible. The football was good and the spirit but there are things we have to do better - first to take points. When we play against teams close to us we need to win them.''

Grant expects to make signings when the transfer window opens, adding: "In January of course we want to make the squad stronger and we will do.''