Javier Hernandez took United to within three games of Wembley on Tuesday night when his 90th-minute winner sunk Wolverhampton Wanderers and settled an absorbing Carling Cup tie.
The Mexican striker came off the bench with less than 10 minutes to play and, as he's done so many times already in his short 11-game United career, made an instant impact. His winner, a cool left-footed finish after he'd sold a defender a sublime dummy, was his sixth for the club and his fourth in three games.
His late goal settled a game that epitomised one of football's biggest cliches. It really was a game of two halves: the first was largely free from action, the second featured five goals as Wolves twice clawed back deficits before suffering their final, agonising fate.
Plenty of questions have been raised in the last week about United’s capacity for long-term success, but on this evidence there's little sign that the silverware is about to dry up. On a mild Tuesday evening a string of youngsters were handed a chance to impress, including Robbie Brady and Ravel Morrison, neither of whom had previously been involved in a first-team squad. They began on the bench – Morrison eventually came on for a 60-second cameo but didn't get a touch – alongside fellow youngster Magnus Eikrem (an unused substitute at Scunthorpe), club captain Gary Neville, Rafael, Tomasz Kuszczak and match-winner Hernandez.
Sir Alex's men, Carling Cup holders and undefeated at home in the competition since September 2007, began confidently and, given the hodgepodge nature of the team selection, cohesively. Amos was making only his second senior appearance in goal, the back four had never played together, Bebe was also involved from the first whistle for the first time, while Gabriel Obertan took up an unfamiliar advanced role, just behindFederico Macheda.
Darron Gibson was the first United player to take aim at goal, but his curling shot deflected out for a corner. There were then shouts for a penalty on 12 minutes when Obertan's shot nicked off an arm on the way through to Hennessey but referee Lee Mason's refusal was immediate and adamant.
Summer signing Bebe started brightly and helped carve out a chance for Macheda on 19 minutes. The Portuguese bravely put his body on the line in a challenge with George Elokobi before reaching the loose ball first and crossing low into the penalty area. Macheda controlled the ball and shot through a crowd of players but his effort was straight at Wayne Hennessey.
Hennessey's opposing number, Ben Amos, endured a brief scare at the other end when a deep cross eluded the young goalkeeper. Wes Brown, captain for the night, was positioned well, though, and nodded the ball out for a corner.
Wolves' best chance in the first period came after Jonny Evans got himself into trouble and, in an effort to recover, tangled with Steven Fletcher 25 yards from goal. Former Red David Jones lined up the resulting free-kick but only succeeded in blasting the ball into the wall.
Evans' error arrived amid a sloppy 15 minutes from United's point of view. After a positive start, it was as if a switch had been flicked: the simple act of passing to a team-mate turned into a chore and too often players dribbled into crowded spaces or down dead ends. Lee Mason's half-time whistle at least offered a chance for Sir Alex to issue fresh instructions, and the Reds duly emerged re-energised for the second period.
Carrick flashed an early shot over the bar, Obertan chased and won what looked like a lost cause and Macheda curled an effort just wide of the post. After Bebe was impeded 30 yards from goal, Gibson stung Hennessey's palms with a powerful free-kick. Then, when everyone expected Carrick to shoot from the edge of the box, he threaded an incisive ball through the defence to release Ji-sung Park. Hennessey was all that stood between United taking the lead and his 6ft frame proved a formidable barrier.
United were knocking on the door, though, and within 11 minutes of the restart the home side took the lead. It was Bebe who made the breakthrough, his attempted cross looping off a defender and up over Hennessey. Kevin Foley headed the ball clear but the assistant referee on the North Stand side correctly flagged to indicate it had crossed the line.
The lead lasted all of four minutes. Wolves levelled through left-back Elokobi, who rose highest to head home a corner from the right side. Amos complained he had been blocked in his attempt to reach the cross but his appeals fell on deaf ears.
Both Wolves' Stephen Hunt and United's Federico Macheda missed presentable chances to add to the scoreline, while Chris Smalling, superb all night in the heart of the Reds' defence, headed clear from almost underneath his own crossbar.
It proved a timely intervention. Moments later Ji-sung Park atoned for his earlier miss by finishing a move he'd started outside the area with a sweeping left-footed shot into the corner of the net. With the game see-sawing from end to end, though, it was now imperative United took control.
Despite Gary Neville's introduction, though, Wolves again cancelled out United's lead almost immediately. This time ex-United forward Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was at the heart of the move, showing fine skill 30 yards from goal before picking out Fletcher in the middle. The Scot helped the ball on to Foley, who, in one motion, spun and shot past Amos to silence Old Trafford.
Worryingly, Wolves kept creating chances and Ebanks-Blake beat Amos with a rasping shot. The young goalkeeper was able to breath a sigh of relief when it also flashed past the post.
Hennessey then saved well from Obertan at his near post before the Frenchman was guilty of shooting when an early pass may have yielded better results. Had he fed Macheda in the middle the tie may well have been wrapped up without the need for Chicharito's brilliant late intervention.
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