No stopping Ronaldo as Man United crush Bolton

LONDON, Mar 17 (Reuters) Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo set up three goals and South Korea's Park Ji-sung scored two of them as Premier League leaders Manchester United romped to a 4-1 win over Bolton Wanderers today.

Ronaldo provided the cut-back for Park to score United's first after 14 minutes, put Wayne Rooney through for their second and then hit a shot which keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen spilled and Park tucked home in the 25th minute.

Ronaldo got a standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd in the 70th minute when he was replaced by Alan Smith, who promptly set up Rooney for his second of the afternoon on the break.

Gary Speed scored Bolton's consolation goal from the penalty spot three minutes from the end as United notched their sixth consecutive league win.

The victory, which sent United nine points clear before second-placed Chelsea kicked off against Sheffield United, was marred though by the loss of United's England defender Gary Neville to an ankle injury after nine minutes.

United manager Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports News after the game that Neville would be out for three weeks with ankle ligament damage and would miss England's Euro 2008 qualifiers.

His absence will pose real selection problems for the watching England manager Steve McClaren, whose side face Israel next Saturday in Tel Aviv and Andorra four days later.

The injury was the only cloud over an imperious performance by United, and by Ronaldo in particular.

His scintillating pace and close ball control took him to the very limit of the bye-line after 14 minutes before he deftly picked out Park for a powerful sidefoot home.

He linked up superbly with Rooney minutes later as the two forwards surged forward on the counter-attack, feeding the ball through for the England striker to dink over Jaaskelainen and claim his 50th goal for United.

PARK POUNCES Bolton's keeper could not hold a stinging Ronaldo shot shortly afterwards and Park was first to the loose ball, steering it into the gaping net.

Rooney rounded off the scoring with a calm finish after galloping through on the break, the early kickoff's one positive for McClaren.

Paying tribute to Ronaldo, Ferguson said: ''His season has been incredible, you can't put one game in front of another as far as I'm concerned because he's given his all in every game.

''Today, particularly in the second goal, the combination between him and Wayne Rooney -- and his weighted pass to Wayne to finish things off -- was tremendous.'' REUTERS PDS RAI2336