United gave one of their worst first-half performances of the season at Old Trafford before they slipped up a couple of gears after the interval to take a Sunday afternoon stroll to victory with three goals in a 12-minute burst. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Gary Neville and David Beckham scored the goals before a Don Hutchison consolation strike. And an important win it was too for United because it re-opened their four-point lead at the top of the Premiership over Arsenal going into the two-week break for the Euro 2000 qualifiers.

Everton boss Walter Smith will be a busy man during the coming fortnight as he tries to figure out a way of keeping his side in the Premiership and they are now just two points above the drop zone. If Everton's job had not appeared hard enough against United, it looked even more difficult after two minutes when Ibrahima Bakayoko pulled a hamstring in a tussle with Henning Berg and went off.

Fortunately for Everton, the expected United onslaught did not materialise. Instead, just as manager Alex Ferguson had feared, his players were not focused on the job in hand following their midweek heroics against Inter Milan. United's 4-3-3 formation with Solskjaer partnering Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole up front was making little impression on the massed ranks of the Blues' defence.

Ferguson had opted for three up front because Jesper Blomqvist was missing with an ankle injury and Ryan Giggs had a calf strain, while Roy Keane and Paul Scholes were suspended.

United, who have been so devastating down the flanks in recent wings, were clearly a poorer team for having their wings clipped. Solskjaer did force one save from Thomas Myhre at his near post on 24 minutes in a rare moment of excitement.

Everton, encouraged by their hosts' dour display, pushed forward. Peter Schmeichel parried a 25-yard free-kick from Marco Materazzi and Berg completed the clearance with David Unsworth lurking.

Apart from these two efforts, though, it was a game which brought a new meaning to the word dull. No doubt spurred on by a few choice words from Ferguson, United finally put the visitors' defence under some pressure and Myhre saved a rasping drive from Gary Neville following a poor clearance by Unsworth.

The home side did not have much longer to wait to make the breakthrough and it came in the 54th minute courtesy of Solskjaer.

The Norwegian striker played a one-two with Yorke just inside the Everton penalty area before unleashing a shot past Myhre for his 16th goal of the season. Without really trying United doubled their lead on 63 minutes. Yorke jinked his way into the Blues' box before slipping the ball to Gary Neville on the right who fired home his first goal in nearly two years and only his second in the league for United.

Beckham really brought the United crowd to life with a free-kick special three minutes later. Myhre got a hand to his 25-yard curler from in front of goal, but he could not keep it out.

It was Beckham's fifth of the season, four of which have been free-kicks, and his first strike since November 4. With yet another three points in the bag, Ferguson brought on Jonathan Greening and Teddy Sheringham with 20 minutes remaining.

Greening seems set for a bright future at Old Trafford and within two minutes of coming on he demonstrated why when he hit a shot against the post.

Everton skipper Hutchison salvaged some pride for the Merseysiders when he scored a great 25-yard free-kick 10 minutes from time. It was never going to change the outcome of the game and Yorke almost added a fourth only to be denied by a fine save by Myhre.