Source: Manchester_EveningNews
Aston Villa 1 United 2
Manchester United lifted the Carling Cup for the second successive season thanks to substitute Wayne Rooney's goal. Aston Villa took the lead through James Milner's early penalty before Michael Owen equalised. Owen then had to go off injured and his replacement Rooney headed the winner from Antonio Valencia's cross. United were arguably lucky not to have Nemanja Vidic sent off for the tackle that led to Villa's penalty. United are not a one-man team but they are perilously close to that label. Rooney needs colleagues of course to provide the ammo but the Reds don't have anyone else who can fire those killer bullets on such a regular basis. He's an unstoppable machine and unless there is an on-field assassin out there or a freak injury awaiting then the Rooney headlines are just going to keep coming. Didn't you just now that the Liverpudlian was going to end up as the talk of the town yet again? Even had Sir Alex Ferguson's selection plan back-fired he'd have been the main topic of conversation. But this was a far more acceptable storyline from the manager and United's viewpoint. From inside United's camp they have been at some pains to put up a convincing argument against those who believed the real League Cup final was played over two-legs at Eastlands and Old Trafford last month. There was a strong feeling that the Reds were wound up to beat their rich upstart neighbours in the semi. Though United claimed it wasn't the driving force and a Wembley final was always the biggest carrot few really swallowed that. Those who'd doubted the words coming out of Old Trafford nodded knowingly when the Wembley team sheets emerged. No Rooney, the man who inevitably secured the Reds Wembley ticket with his late semi second leg clincher, in the starting XI appeared to concur with the belief that this was purely a day out and the Manchester clashes and subsequent bragging rights was indeed the most coveted prize of the Carling Cup campaign. United's talisman hasn't had a rest since the Champions League match in Germany against Wolfsburg in December. That was 17 games and 16 critical games ago since when Rooney has built up his standing as the Reds player Fergie just couldn't ignore. Rooney form When you've not been granted a breather in home matches against Burnley, Hull, Portsmouth and West Ham in 2010 you have every right to think the 24-year-old is truly indispensable. So for Rooney to be viewing his second successive Carling Cup final from the sidelines said it all about what those ties with City really meant. To further back that argument Fergie chose a United spearhead of Owen and Dimitar Berbatov that has only started one match together all campaign. That was back in October and neither scored in the 2-1 victory at home to Bolton. The United manager's gamble was in early danger of spectacularly blowing up in his face. A goal behind at Wembley and your key man kicking his heels on the bench was not the platform for such a selection risk to build into a master stroke. Vidic has had a miserable season with injury and intrigue dogging his personal campaign. The last thing the Serb would have wanted was for Villa to expose his Achilles heel so soon into the match. For all his rock like qualities the big defender doesn't enjoy a speed merchant turning him and putting on the after burners. The name of Torres and Liverpool's number nine shirt must have flashed across his vision in the fourth minute as Gabriel Agbonlahor forced him to back pedal. History suggested there was only one conclusion as Vidic desperately attempted to cover the situation and sure enough Agbonlahor was scruffily brought down. Vidic's stomach must have sunk. He would have been expecting to be back in the dressing room quicker than he'd wanted. Dowd decision Though referee Phil Dowd awarded a nailed on penalty Vidic amazingly escaped a card punishment when a fourth sending off in the last two seasons looked a cert! James Milner meant yet another United comeback was called for. But then Ferguson's attacking choice vindicated his decision. Berbatov picked Richard Dunne's pocket as the ex-City defender dawdled and though the Irishman recovered with a challenge he sent the ball square into Owen's path. The 30-year-old, making his first appearance in a Wembley final, rolled back the years as he swept in the equaliser and surely must have had a fleeting thought about a certain plane heading out to South Africa in June. Half an hour later he must have been pondering booking his summer holidays for the duration of the World Cup as he pulled up with his hamstring injury chasing a Berbatov pass. Hopes of convincing Fabio Capello that he is worthy of one of the 23 golden tickets have now as good as gone for the striker. It appears the one-time England wonder boy is too susceptible to such injuries to allow him to expand on his international carrer. United don't let hiccups like the early penalty and the loss of their goalscorer bother them. Why should they when they can flip through a huge volume of comeback stories for inspiration and you can also send Rooney on as a sub. United could have been in front before Rooney had even touched the ball when Park smashed a shot against the upright. Villa must have feared the storyline was brewing from the moment Fergie had to unleash his lion. It took a while coming with Rooney a subdued figure and United losing control in the second half after Fletcher and Carrick had dominated the show. Fortunately, Villa, and few others anywhere, don't have the Rooney factor to call upon and while the Midlanders ruined their slick approach with a blunt cutting edge, the Reds was razor sharp. Once United managed to start feeding Valencia again the writing was on the wall for Martin O'Neill's side. The Ecuadorian's magnificent supply line was opened up again in the 74th minute and Rooney's excellently placed header found the only part of the goal that Brad Friedel couldn't reach. It was his fifth headed goal on the trot and it was almost six when Valencia once more put a cross on his head and he thrust a forehead forward to crash his effort against the post. The Anglo-South American link was a combo that Villa just couldn't handle in the end and Rooney match winner and Valencia man of the match carved up the awards nicely. What is your verdict on the game? Have your say. [LNB]
