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The red half of Manchester triumphed over the blue in a tense and pulsating encounter in the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final at Old Trafford. United won 3-1 on the night thanks to goals from Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick and a stoppage time winner from Wayne Rooney. With seconds remaining on the clock, Rooney headed in a crucial 3rd goal to take United to the hallowed greens of Wembley for the Carling Cup finals. Carlos Tevez, had a part in the proceedings too as he levelled the two teams on aggregate with a classy finish of his own. However, the former United hit-man's 3 goal haul over the two legs against his previous employers wasn't enough as United emerged victorious in their defence of the Cup.

Manchester United and Manchester City squared up in a match that was being billed as no less than a Champions League final. The local rivals had the carrot dangling before their very eyes - a place at Wembley in the Carling Cup final against Aston Villa. City had the edge in the match because of their 2-1 win at Eastlands in the first leg a couple of weeks ago. United on the other hand, had plenty of big match experience to overturn the deficit and also had a crucial away goal as an added bonus.

Carlos Tevez, after his virtuoso performance at Eastlands had been in the news a lot in the run up to the clash, and was a marked man tonight. Sir Alex fielded a side bereft of a second striker in support of the irrepressible Wayne Rooney. Ryan Giggs and Nani were the two wide men while Carrick, Fletcher and Scholes were the men in the engine room, of the United midfield. Rio Ferdinand, started the game with Johnny Evans at the back with Rafael and Patrice Evra as the right and left backs while Edwin Van der Sar took his place between the posts.

City on the other hand were looking to display their attacking wares and had a team built to attack on the counter, Tevez, Bellamy and Shaun Wright Phillips were expected to provide the attacking thrust. De Jong, Zabaleta and Barry were the mid field generals for Roberto Mancini's team. Kompany and Boyata were the central defence pairing whileRichards and Garrido were employed as the right and left backs. Shay Given, City's saviour on many an occasion was the custodian in goal.

The difference between the two teams could have been the bench strength. United boasted of players of the calibre of Berbatov, Owen, Valencia and Vidic while City only had the returning Togolese international Emmanuel Adebayor, who could really come on and change a game.

United had a string of corners at the start to dominate the early proceedings. It was a measured start from both teams with United dominating and City defending stoutly. In the opening 15 minutes, United had plenty of dead ball situations but couldn't make the most of them. The only piece of excitement was a flailing arm from Rio Ferdinand which seemed to catch Tevez flush on the face much to the cheer of a baying home crowd, the referee as one would expect on such a night missed what 75,000+ at Old Trafford had seen. Every touch from the former United man was greeted by a loud chorus of boos from the United faithful.

City almost edged ahead of United in the 24th minute following a fast break led by Tevez and it was only a despairing lunge from Rio Ferdinand that saved United from falling behind. It was another close shave for United as on another day, many a referee would have happily given a penalty without much of a fuss. The midfield battle, was being dominated by City as United struggled to get the ball to their prime target Wayne Rooney.

Tevez again came close to haunting United as a diving header from the little Argentine was saved in acrobatic fashion by Edwin van der Sar in the 30th minute. City, undoubtedly had the better of the early exchanges with their keeper Shay Given hardly given any work in the first half hour. United soon remedied that unusual anomaly, with a rasping shot from veteran Ryan Giggs greasing the palms of Given. A couple of minutes later Michael Carrick drilled in a low cross for Rooney, but Given dived bravely to take the ball away off the England striker's feet.

Paul Scholes earned his customary yellow card in the 35th minute when he recklessly lunged at Shaun Wright-Phillips when the Man City winger was in his own half. It was a tense tight affair as both sides were able to cancel each other out. Wayne Rooney was left to search for scraps as Kompany and Boyata kept him away from goal.

The first half ended goalless and left both sets of supporters biting their nails in nervous trepidation. Tevez got the second half underway but on the wrong side of the refereeHoward Webb as he clattered into Rafael with a reckless challenge. He thus earned a yellow card for his troubles. As it often happens in such an intense rivalry, some idiot in the crowd loses his cool, with Craig Bellamy being hit on the head by a coin when the Welsh international went to take a corner. It was a sad part to what was an enthralling match so far and might incur some repercussions for United from the FA.

The scoring was finally opened in the 52nd minute by veteran Paul Scholes, as he brought the United crowd to their feet with a patented pile driver from the edge of the box. The move had its genesis in Wayne Rooney's brilliance as the England striker turned a City corner into a counter attack, culminating in Scholes' precision finish past an outstretched Shay Given. The goal seemed to have brought renewed vigour and vitality to the United setup. They came close in the 57th minute to add to their score as Scholes engineered another move, with Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher both having chances fall to them.

City soon rang in their first change as they replaced Garrido with Stephen Ireland. Zabaleta switched over to the left back role while Ireland took his place as the creative focal point of the midfield battle. United knew that the away goal advantage would be significant only after extra time, so they had to hold on to their lead and also make every effort to close out the tie with another goal.

United struck a hammer blow in the 71st minute as Michael Carrick placed a shot from an acute angle past Given to give United the much needed cushion. Darren Fletcher was the provider as he passed the ball to Carrick amidst close attention from the City players.

Wayne Rooney failed to add a 3rd moments later as he somehow managed to not hit the target from 4 yards after a trademark sinuous run from Patrice Evra. Emmanuel Adebayor was brought on by Mancini as he realised that the absence of a target man was affecting Tevez's participation in the game.

Wes Brown replaced right back Rafael in the 74th minute as United looked to see out the match. However, Tevez had other ideas though, as he nonchalantly flicked in a goal to bring the two teams level on the aggregate in the 76th minute. Bellamy drifted in an in swinging ball which was on its way to being headed away from danger by Rio Ferdinandbefore Tevez scooped in from behind and scored a glorious goal. Edwin van der Sar was rendered helpless by the class of the finish as the ball settled in to the bottom corner.

Carrick then missed a glorious opportunity in the 81st minute to score his second of the night as his shot drifted narrowly wide of Given's post. Tensions seemed to have gripped both teams as any goal now could prove decisive. In the event of the score lines remaining as they were even after normal time, the sides would go to extra time and in case of a stalemate even then, penalties would decide the victors. With extra time looming, United brought on reinforcements in the person of Antonio Valencia .

United almost had the win when Shay Given thwarted a point blank header from Darren Fletcher. However, it was a dramatic end to the game when the player of the season so far - Wayne Rooney headed in a delightful ball from Ryan Giggs past a hapless Given to give United the decisive goal in the 2nd minute of time added on. It was a death knell for the City players as they lost at Old Trafford for the second time in the season to a stoppage time goal.

With this win United are now off to Wembley for the Carling Cup final where they take on Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa. City and Tevez, in particular (after his 3 goals in the two legged encounter) must be ruing the close finish and their 34 year long wait for a place in any final continues.

Teams:

Manchester United : Edwin van der Sar, Rafael (Brown), Patrice Evra, Jonathan Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Nani (Valencia), Darren Fletcher, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney.

Manchester City : Shay Given, Micah Richards, Dedryck Boyata, Vincent Kompany, Javier Garrido (Ireland), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Adebayor), Pablo Zabaleta, Gareth Barry, Nigel De Jong, Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez.

Final Score: Manchester United 3 (Scholes 52', Carrick 71', Rooney 90') - 1 Manchester City (Tevez 76')

File Photograph Copyright: Gordon Flood