Man Utd Hammer Latics in League Cup Final

By Alan G
February 28 2006

Sorry for the delay in the report, I was in Cardiff until yesterday, drowning my sorrows and then bringing them back up forcefully into the porcelain pan. Isn't watching Latics fun??? As we all know, Latics got a right hammering. Manchester United hit us with a second-half salvo to win 4-0 and claim the League Cup for the second time.

It all started in the first three minutes, Gary Teale outstripped Mikael Silvestre to whip in a cross which Senegalese striker Henri Camara headed wide when well-placed.

Then Mike Pollitt pulled up with hamstring trouble and whilst John Filan was warming up on the touchline, Wayne Rooney crashed a header against the Latics bar, a foretaste of what was to come….

United applied the early pressure, and found oceans of room to pass the ball around, Latics failed to close down in midfield and United stretched Henchoz and de Zeuuw in the heart of the Latics defence.

Inevitably the pressure paid off; Edwin Van der Sar's long punt downfield was flicked on by Saha - and De Zeeuw and Chimbonda collided to leave Rooney with a clear run on goal to slot clinically past Filan.

Latics then showed a little of the steely determination for which they have become renowned, Jason Roberts tricked his way past Neville and Wes Brown did superbly to head clear as Paul Scharner closed in.

Latics carried the game to United at the start of the second half and Camara showed skill and pace to beat Rio Ferdinand but Van der Sar got his angles right to beat the shot away.

Just as we were starting to believe in ourselves and press for an equalizer, United stuck a great big diamond encrusted dagger into our hearts. Ryan Giggs picked his way past a couple of tackles in midfield before sweeping a pass out to Ronaldo, who in turn laid the ball into Neville's overlapping run.

Neville's cross was met by Saha and although Filan saved his first effort, the Frenchman managed to force the ball over the line.

Just two minutes later, a common or garden clearance was somehow passed by Henchoz straight to Saha, who slid it to Ronaldo to fire home.

A rampant United made it three goals in seven minutes when Giggs' free-kick was won initially by Saha, and then Ferdinand headed the ball goalwards for Rooney to spin and tuck away his second goal.

It was an emotional moment as the team I had supported as a boy, down amongst the lower leagues, took to the field in their first major final. I stood there and thought: It doesn’t matter what the result, just as long as we give a good account of ourselves…………………………..

 

 

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Brown (Vidic 83), Ferdinand, Silvestre (Evra 83), Ronaldo (Richardson 73), O'Shea, Giggs, Park, Saha, Rooney.
Subs Not Used: Howard, van Nistelrooy.

Booked: Ronaldo.

Goals: Rooney 33, Saha 55, Ronaldo 59, Rooney 61.

Latics: Pollitt (Filan 14), Chimbonda, De Zeeuw, Henchoz (McCulloch 62), Baines, Bullard, Kavanagh (Ziegler 72), Scharner, Teale, Camara, Roberts.
Subs Not Used: Jackson, Johansson.

Booked: De Zeeuw.

Att: 66,866.

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).