Carling Cup: Manchester United v Wolves full time report
Manchester United 3 Wolves 2
Javier Hernandez scored the winner for Manchester United as he came off the bench to put the reigning holders into the quarter-finals.
When it looked as though the game was heading into extra time, the Mexican popped up with another vital goal to overcome a spirited Wolves at Old Trafford, who came back twice in the game.
Bebe will do well to claim the opening goal of the game, as his cross was deflected and looped over Wolves ‘keeper Wayne Hennessey and just over the line.
It only took a few minutes for Wolves to get back on level terms. George Elokobi scored his first goal for the club after he tucked away a header from the corner.
Ji-Sung Park restored United’s lead after beating Hennessey with a good finish, but Wolves managed to find something to get back on level terms again, this time through Kevin Foley.
Man of the moment Hernandez came off the bench to put his side back into the lead, finishing off after showing great composure in front of goal.
Considering United manager Sir Alex Ferguson handed third-choice ‘keeper Ben Amos his second start, he wasn’t called into action at all, other than picking the ball up and kicking it forward.
If you had the option of fast-forwarding the first half, it would have been the best option to take as it hardly offered anything. Nearly 20 minutes had passed and the first shot on target was registered. Macheda had the ball at his feet and managed to poke a shot towards Hennessey.
A few shots from long distance were not going to be contenders for goal of the season from United, and Wolves had a couple of headers from corners but they didn’t set the alarm bells ringing for Amos.
The second half was much better and great to watch from a neutral’s perspective. A shot from outside the penalty area got it going. Michael Carrick fired his shot just over Hennessey’s goal a couple of minutes into play.
Macheda on 51 minutes produced his second shot of the game, and this one nearly found the back of the net. His curling right-footed shot just whistled over the ball when he found himself in the box.
A minute later Darren Gibson hit a free kick from a long distance, and known for his pile-drivers and sweet striking of the ball, stung the palms of Hennessey.
Chances were now coming thick and fast, and Carrick just moments later threaded a pass to Ji-Sung Park, who forced a good save from Hennessey.
The first goal did come on 55 minutes when Bebe’s deflected cross just went over the line after a good decision from the linesman.
The Wolves equaliser came four minutes later as Elokobi thumped in a close-range header from a corner, and with that goal Wolves scored their first at Old Trafford for 30 years.
Stephen Hunt nearly put Wolves in front on 63 minutes, as he clipped the top of the cross bar from Matt Jarvis’ cut back from the byline with a curling shot.
Macheda was trying hard to get on the score sheet, and he blazed his shot over on the half volley a couple of minutes later.
United went back in front through one of their more experienced players. Park neatly finished from inside the penalty area after he latched onto the loose ball 20 minutes from the end of the game. He tried to find Macheda, but when he couldn’t take full control of the ball, Park was able to pick up the pieces and beat Hennessey with a clever finish.
The United goal came on the back of good pressure from Wolves, and if a team was most likely to score in that period, it was the away side.
Dave Jones hit a volley from outside the box that could have caused problems if it had hit the target as Wolves kept on plugging away.
For the second time tonight, Wolves found an equaliser as Foley scored on 76 minutes after hitting his shot across Amos. The build-up deserved a goal at the end of it, as Sylvan Ebanks-Blake moved the ball onto Stephen Fletcher, who then moved the ball onto Foley.
Ebanks-Blake thought he had put his side in the lead as he fired his shot inches wide of the target with Amos rooted to the spot. Wolves were not sitting back, and Jarvis was providing great balls into the box and giving United’s Wes Brown a torrid time.
Hernandez scored twice in the 2-1 win over Stoke City at the weekend scored again to give United the lead just before stoppage time. He burst into the box, moved the ball onto his left foot and smashed the ball past Hennessey, who managed to get gloves onto it but couldn’t keep it out.
United are chasing their third Carling Cup in a row, and Hernandez has put them on the road to try and reach Wembley once again.
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