Owen on target again as United win

Michael Owen hit the target again yesterday as Manchester United made it two wins out of two on their pre-season tour, beating a plucky Malaysian XI 2-0.

Owen struck after 13 minutes from close range for his second goal in as many games, soon after teenage striker Federico Macheda put the team in front.

But despite countless other chances they failed to stretch their lead in the energy-sapping conditions.

"It was a sticky night and I was exhausted just watching it," said Sir Alex Ferguson.

"It was not as good a game as the other night, we had a lot of chances in the second half and maybe we should have done better with the finishing."

But he singled out Owen for praise after his storming start for the club.

"If he stays fit it will be an absolute bonus for us," he said.

"There were a couple of cases tonight where he's shown his real experience, and that's what he's really good at, his positioning, and he's so quick to get to the ball."

United were due to play Indonesia yesterday but cancelled the trip after the hotel they were to stay in was hit by the blasts which killed at least eight people and injured more than 50.

They next play FC Seoul on Friday, with Park Ji-Sung, who missed the Malaysia leg, joining his team-mates in the South Korean capital.