Owen on song for United

Manchester United yesterday won their second match of their pre-season tour of the Far East, and new signing Michael Owen was again on the scoresheet as a Malaysian XI were dispatched 2-0 at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpar this afternoon.

United boss Alex Ferguson fielded an entirely revamped side for the club's second game against a Malaysian XI inside three days, with Owen named in the starting line-up for the first time in his Old Trafford career.

Ferguson's men wasted little time before going into the lead, with a cross form the left deflected by young Italian striker Federico Macheda into the path of Scottish midfielder Darren Fletcher, who could have shot himself, but instead pulled the ball back for Macheda to finish with confidence from just inside the six-yard box.

That was in the eleventh minute, and two minutes later they doubled their advantage. Serbian starlet Zoran Tosic found himself in acres of space on the left and picked out a carefully placed cross to Macheda in the box.

The Italian missed the ball at the near post, but the Malaysian defence panicked, and Owen, showing the predator's instinct for which he is renowned, pounced to slot in from close range.

That was the striker's second of the tour, and it looked as though he would get even more after hitting the post from another Tosic centre in the 33rd minute.

However, the Mancunians' momentum flattened out somewhat as the game moved on, with the biggest cheer of the second half being reserved for the appearance of Wayne Rooney. The Liverpudlian almost scored within two minutes of his 64th minute entrance, fastening onto a long-ball from the back, before putting a low effort past the keeper's left-hand post.

Overall it was a workmanlike performance from Ferguson's men, who resisted a late flurry of pressure from the hosts, but the victory will ease any lingering anxiety caused by the weekend's somewhat lacklustre display against the same opposition.