West Ham 0 Manchester United 4

MEMORIES of last week's demolition job on Burnley were extinguished by Manchester United after the Premier League defending champions ran riot in the second half at Upton Park.

Paul Scholes got the ball rolling on the stroke of half-time with a fierce shot from the edge of the box. Darren Gibson bettered that strike with one of his own, before tap-ins for Wayne Rooney and Antonio Valencia wrapped up the points.

The closest West Ham came was a Junior Stanislas shot that grazed the post, and a curling free-kick from substitute Alessandro Diamanti, but the game was dead and buried by that point.

A depleted Manchester United side, minus the influence of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic looked there for the taking.

A makeshift centre-half partnership of Wes Brown and Gary Neville was weakened when the latter was forced off with a groin injury, leaving Michael Carrick to fill in in his place. With Darren Fletcher also asked to assume defensive duties in the right-back position, it looked inconceivable that the Hammers, fresh from their five-goal blitz against Burnley last week, would not threaten the defending champions.

But that is exactly what they did, or rather did not do throughout the game.

The closest they came to a goal-scoring chance in the first half was a cross-cum-shot from Zavon Hines that was pinched off the toes of Jack Collison at the back post by Ryan Giggs, who had instigated the opportunity with a loose pass.

In fairness to West Ham, their own makeshift defence of James Tomkins and Danny Gabbidon coped admirably with the danger posed by Rooney & co.

However, just when it looked as if the hosts could head into half-time with a clean sheet in tact, up stepped Scholes to score his 99th Premier League goal.

Gabbidon cleared his lines from a Giggs cross but the ball fell to Scholes on the edge of the box, and he made Radoslav Kovac look stupid as he escaped the midfielder's attentions with ridiculous ease before firing a left-footed half-volley towards goal that the diving Robert Green could only palm into the top corner.

And so it was a familiar story for the Hammers at the interval, having conceded at home for the ninth successive home game this season.

Diamanti was brought on for Hines, who appeared to be nursing an injury. And the Italian impressed with a series of expansive passes, although his unquenchable eye for goal often got the better of him, shooting on site whenever the opportunity presented itself.

In truth, there was still no genuine threat for United's patched-up defence to worry about. But, down the other end, they began to find their stride, and they doubled their advantage just after the hour mark thanks to a sublime move and an even better finish.

Giggs exchanged passes with Rooney on the far touchline and the Welshman drove at West Ham's defence, drawing defenders to him, before laying on Gibson to add another belter to his growing repertoire from 20 yards. It was the Irishman's third goal in two games, having netted twice in the Carling Cup quarter-final victory over Tottenham in midweek.

Ten minutes later it was three, and just 60 seconds after that it was four, and all she wrote for Gianfranco Zola and his troops.

Rooney's cute pass to Anderson on the left side of the penalty area was followed up by an excellent ball across from the Brazilian, and Valencia was on hand at the back post to tap in.

Valencia then turned provider from the other flank, squaring for an equally easy finish for Rooney, who celebrated his 11th league goal of the season.

Diamanti then did have a noteworthy effort on goal, but his curling free-kick was palmed away by Tomas Kuzczack.

Stanislas then should have capped West Ham's best move of the match with a goal. Diamanti's excellent through ball found Herita Ilunga, whose pull back found Guillermo Franco. He laid the ball off to Stanislas, but the youngster's effort crept agonisingly wide.