United drops opener at Everton

Aug 20, 2012 - 8:57 PM Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - Manchester United's season opened with a 1-0 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park on Monday as Marouane Fellaini's second-half goal was enough for the Toffees to claim three points.

United's big summer addition, striker Robin van Persie, started the game on the bench, and he watched Everton control much of the action in the first half before cashing in shortly before the hour mark.

Fellaini caused problems for the United defense throughout the match and he nearly scored after 14 minutes when he dribbled into the penalty area on the left and fired a shot off the near post from a tight angle.

Goalkeeper David De Gea was kept busy toward the end of the half for United, but he came up big to keep out shots from Leon Osman and Leighton Baines.

Everton continued to get the better of the play after the break, and Osman was denied by the crossbar in the opening few minutes before the goal arrived in the 57th minute.

Fellaini was able to get free from his man eight yards from goal and he turned a cross from Darron Gibson inside the right post with his head.

The best chance for the visitors came in the 67th minute when Tom Cleverley had an open look at the net from six yards, only for Everton defender Phil Jagiellka to recover and clear the shot off the line.

From there, Everton spent the rest of the match pinned back in its own end, but defended well to hold on for the win.