URUGUAYAN international Diego Forlan piled on the agony for Rovers' reserves last night after his four-goal salvo condemned Alan Murray's men to a fifth straight defeat.

Alex Ferguson's £7.5 million signing from Independiente might have struggled to find the net in the first team at Old Trafford since his big money move from South America last season.

But there was nothing wrong with his aim in the more humble surroundings of Christie Park as he helped himself to a hat-trick inside 28 minutes to inflict more misery on the beleaguered home side.

Tricky midfielder Keiran Richardson then added a fourth for the visitors with a stunning long range effort shortly after the break before it was left to Forlan to complete the rout with his fourth of the night in the 71st minute.

And Rovers' embarrassment might have been even more acute but for a couple of last-ditch saves from Kieron Renton on a night when little went right for the men in blue and white.

Ironically, the home side had the first chance of the night when Ciccio Grabbi forced an early save out of Spanish keeper Ricardo with a dipping free kick.

But Forlan then took centre stage when he broke the deadlock with a powerful shot which flew into the bottom corner from 20 yards in the 15th minute.

Two minutes later, the impressive Richardson missed a chance to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot when he was felled by Alan Morgan but dragged his effort wide of the post.

And that very nearly proved costly as first Grabbi and then Jerome Watt went close to snatching an equaliser with two gilt-edged chances in the space of a minute.

After that, though, United never looked back as Forlan doubled their advantage on 23 minutes with a sweet half-volley which caught Renton napping.

And five minutes later he then completed a whirlwind hat-trick after seizing onto a sloppy back pass from Darren Hockenhull.

Rovers nearly grabbed a lifeline when Marc Richards forced an excellent save out of Ricardo shortly before the break.

But the game was over as contest in the 54th minute when Richardson lashed home number four with a scorching 30 yarder in the 54th minute which left Renton clutching thin air.

Forlan then iced the cake when he bagged United's fifth in the 71st minute from close range.

ROVERS RES 0 MANCHESTER UNITED RES 5

ROVERS: Renton, Curtis, Hockenhull, Danns, Morgan, Douglas, Corbett, Grabbi, Richards (Gallagher, 80), Dunning, Watt ( ). Subs not used: Donnelly, Bruce, Robinson.

UNITED: Ricardo (Williams, 45), Roche, Tierney (Rankin, 63), Tate, May (Nardiello, 74), Neville P, Chadwick, Richardson, Forlan, Muirhead, Fortune. Subs not used: Lynch.