Despite leading 2-1 from the opening contest a little over a week ago the Blues were unable to hold on to their slender advantage finally succumbing to second half goals from midfield duo Paul Scholes Michael Carrick and yet another Old Trafford injury time heartbreaker this time from Wayne Rooney.
The Blues had earlier given themselves a lifeline through Carlos Tevez whose 76th minute goal had levelled the tie and put a more realistic shine on events.
Carrick and Scholes stuck in the 51st and 73rd minutes after a first half in which the home side threatened only sporadically as lone hitman Rooney failed to make an impression on a watertight City defence. It made act two of the Carling Cup passion play every bit as intriguing and compelling as part one had been at CoMs.
The list of characters in Red had changed slightly but the Blues’ main man Carlos Tevez was there sharing top billing while his verbal sparring partner Gary Neville was consigned to the stands.
City’s stuck with the same line up as the first encounter with African Cup of Nations returnee Emmanuel Adebayor back in the squad and on the bench. All those who had watched the FA Cup win at Scunthorpe returned to action.
There is little doubt that this pulsating and absorbing contest shifted the Carling Cup firmly back into centre stage after a spell when the second domestic knockout competition was almost being treated as insignificant.
There was no sense in this semi final or the one between Villa and Blackburn that this competition is any way second best. 10,000 City fans roared their lungs into submission in a bid to end the cup final hoodoo stretching back 28-years but even their herculean efforts and those of their heroes were ultimately dashed by Rooney’s free header a minute into the three added on by referee Howard Webb.
The first half had offered few clues as to the four goal salvo that would follow with the Blues testing van der Sar more often than the Reds troubled Shay Given.
The Republic of Ireland man was called into action just once to gobble up a low shot from Ryan Giggs at the other end his Dutch counterpart held Craig Bellamy’s header under the bar having earlier sprawled to save from Tevez effort also with his head.
van der Sar was first in action in the second half brilliantly turning aside a Micah Richards’ shot after the full back cut in from the right.
Then United briefly took control as Scholes scored from pull back by Carrick before Carrick himself rolled in a second off the post.
Dedryck Boyata cleared over his own bar at the height of the home side’s one spell of dominance and the battling, brave Blues bounced back as Tevez’ flick made it three for the tie and seemed to have sent the tie into extra time.
Evans was forced into heading over his own bar by Richards’ scuffed effort as City sought to repeat what they had done in 1969 but with referee Webb staring at his watch Rooney popped up with a winning header.
It was harsh on a City side that had tried its heart out and seemed comfortable for long periods. Vincent Kompany excelled at the heart of the back four when Boyata was only a hair’s breadth behind him ...Boyata became ‘Manata’ over this distance of this tie and may be harder to shift than Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott anticipated.
