Sport

Manchester United take Carling Cup 4-1 on penalties against former holders Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium

FERGUSON trusted the players who helped United reach the final, as Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson and Ben Foster   all started. However, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Patrice Evra also featured from the outset.
Wayne Rooney who had been struck down   by a virus, did not play.
Tottenham’s Jonathan Woodgate, who scored the winner in last year's final against Chelsea, missed out because of an Achilles injury. Roman Pavyluchenko and Darren Bent both played up front, albeit only in the loosest sense of the word. United started faster, with Ronaldo keen to make his presence felt. The world player of the year smashed an early free-kick just over the bar, before bringing a save from Heurelho Gomes in the Tottenham goal.
Gibson flashed a fantastic 25-yard shot inches wide, and Scholes delivered some accurate passes that seemed too good for their recipients, Welbeck and Nani, who did at least test Gomes early on. Manchester United dominated, but Aaron Lennon, on the right wing, made the Spurs’ come back.
Evra is one of the fastest players in the Premier League, but he was repeatedly beaten by the nifty footwork and rapid acceleration of Lennon. Yet time and again, Lennon delivered his final ball and could only find United players.
Captain Rio Ferdinand made several last-ditch interceptions and, at     the other end, saw an ambitious dipping volley drop just over the crossbar.
Carlos Tevez nearly broke the deadlock with an instinctive back flick from a wayward Jonny Evans’ shot, but sent the ball just wide.
Ledley King appeared to foul Ronaldo in the Spurs box, but the Manchester United man was instead booked for diving. Chris Foy decided not to show John O’Shea a second yellow card for a late foul on Luka Modric.
Lennon had the best opportunity to score for Tottenham, collecting the ball on the right side of the box, but seeing the impressive Foster push the ball to safety.
Ronaldo jinked inside from the right and hit a savage left-foot shot with less than 20 seconds of stoppage time left, but the ball came back off the inside of the right-hand post and Nani sent the rebound wide.
The extra half-hour    did not produce many moments of quality. Only Bent’s shot at Foster troubled either keeper, and penalties followed.
Jamie O’Hara’s spot-kick was saved by Ben Foster and David Bentley missed his, while all four United takers converted - Anderson’s cool finish delivering the first part of a possible quadruple for Alex Ferguson’s men. Ryan Giggs, Tevez, Ronaldo and Anderson all converted for United - Vedran Corluka was Tottenham Hotspur’s only successful taker.