BURNING WITH DESIRE.

Byline: STEVE McCALL 

WIGAN .....................................0 MAN UNITED ............................5

SIR ALEX FERGUSON had asked his hitmen to step up to the plate after United's humbling at Burnley and they could not have answered more emphatically.

Two goals from Wayne Rooney to take him past 100 in the top flight, one from Dmitar Berbatov - whose partnership with the England striker had been under fire - and one from Michael Owen wiped Wigan out.

Nani grabbed a crackerjack fifth in a lethal second-half showing from the champs.

Ferguson hailed Rooney's goals. He said: "It's a great achievement and he is only young.

"Some players have been at the club for many years and not reached that total yet. It will do him a world of good." And Sir Alex was equally delighted with Owen's first United goal.

He said: "Michael needed that. All his career has been about goals.

"I was so pleased for him and Berbatov. If the strikers keep doing that it gives us a big chance."

Alarm bells had been ringing before United's visit to the DW Stadium but they were silenced in style yesterday, although it took Rooney until 56 minutes to open the floodgates.

Wigan weathered an early storm during which Titus Bramble cleared a Darren Fletcher shot off the line, Paul Scholes blazed over the bar from close range and Chris Kirland saved bravely at the feet of Rooney.

And the home side almost took the lead in 26 minutes with their first real attack but Jason Koumas' curled shot from the the edge of the penalty area was brilliantly diverted to safety by Ben Foster. Rooney and Fletcher both came close again but it was still deadlocked at the interval.

But former Wigan winger Antonio Valencia sent over a fine cross in 56 minutes for Rooney to head his 100th Premiership goal.

Storming

Berbatov added a second two minutes later. He started and finished the move, cheekily chipping the ball over Kirkland before finding the net with his second touch after Scholes had supplied the through ball.

United made it 3-0 in 65 minutes, although Rooney's shot took a slight deflection off Mario Melchiot to wrong-foot Kirkland after Berbatov had supplied the opening.

Rooney was given a storming reception by the away fans when he was replaced by Owen in 72 minute.

It was damage limitation now for hapless Wigan.

However, Owen made it four with his first goal for the club, a cool finish in to the corner in 85 minutes after he had been set up by Nani.

And Nani had the final word in stoppage time with a superb 25-yard free-kick that sailed over Kirkland.

CAPTION(S):

First class: Owen celebrates his goal Acting the Nani goat: The Portuguese star celebrates his goal with a cartwheel