Aldershot 0 Manchester Utd 3:MANCHESTER UNITED must await sterner tests of their rehabilitation but such have been the tremors since the 6-1 mauling against their neighbours City on Sunday that they could take greater pleasure than usual in the dismissal of lower league League Cup fodder.
Aldershot are 15th in League Two and their priority is to preserve Football League status. The Hampshire club have a monthly wage bill of €103,000 and the gulf between the teams was all too apparent.
There was never likely to be any slip-up and the outlandish notion disappeared over the horizon once the swaggering Dimitar Berbatov had put United in front. Alex Ferguson had promised that his club would “recover” and even though it was hard to read too much into their progress into the quarter-final of the domestic game’s secondary cup tournament, he could praise the professionalism that underpinned the win.
Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia got United’s other goals, and it ought to have been more in what was a one-sided contest. There had been cries at one point from the travelling supporters for a 6-1 win, which would have come coated in irony, but there could be few complaints from them.
There might have been a small part of the Scot that wanted to pitch all 11 of the flops from Sunday into this tie but, of course, the practicalities held sway. The fixture at Everton on Saturday lunchtime will truly be the time to begin the atonement. None of the derby losers featured and the line-up was not dissimilar to that which started at Leeds United in the previous round.
Berbatov scored the opening goal, which followed a flash of United slickness. The ball fizzed between red shirts and it was Park Ji-sung who produced the final pass. Berbatov’s finish was low and instinctive.
This was one of the biggest nights in Aldershot’s history and comfortably the biggest since the club folded and reformed in 1992.
United ended the first half in command courtesy of a goal that Owen started – with a sweeping pass out to Berbatov – and finished, when the Bulgarian rolled it square and invitingly for him.
Valencia scored with a curling drive from distance shortly after the interval and United cruised into the next round.
GuardianService
ALDERSHOT: Worner, Herd, Jones, Morris, Straker, McGlashan, Vincenti (Collins 72), Guttridge, Rodman (Bubb 46), Hylton, Rankine (Smith 82). Subs Not Used: Young, Aaron Brown, Pulis, Panther.
MAN UTD: Amos, Jones, Vidic, Fryers (Michael Keane 70), Fabio Da Silva, Valencia, Cleverley (Pogba 60), Park, Diouf (Morrison 70), Owen, Berbatov. Subs Not Used: De Gea, Vermijl, William Keane, Cole. Booked: Vidic.
Referee: L Probert (Wiltshire).
ARSENAL HOLD ON TO BEAT BOLTON 2-1
Andrey Arshavin and Park Ju-young scored in quick succession to help Arsenal secure progression from their League Cup tie with Bolton last night.
After a first half in which both sides failed to stamp their authority, Bolton started the second period brightly and broke the deadlock two minutes in through Fabrice Muamba.
However, the goal only served to spur the home side into life as Arshavin and Park turned the game on its head soon afterwards.
Ivan Klasnic looked to get Bolton back in the game with a late effort but fortunately for Arsenal the Croatian’s shot flew high and over the bar and the home side managed to hold out for victory, despite efforts from Bolton captain Gary Cahill and Gretar Steinsson in stoppage time.
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