Manchester United’s bid for a glorious quintuple is still alive and kicking after they won a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Tottenham in the Carling Cup final.
With the World Club Championship already in the bag, The Red Devils have now completed leg two of their five-stop mission after they beat Spurs 4-1 on penalties.
After 120 goalless minutes, Jamie O'Hara and David Bentley both missed as United scored all four of their attempts to claim their second major piece of silverware this season.
For O'Hara it was a poignant moment. Having cried tears of disappointment after missing out on last year's final, this time they were tears of sheer agony after Ben Foster saved his opening penalty.
Not even the most optimistic of Spurs fans could justifiably have expected an upset ahead of kick-off, particularly when last year’s Carling Cup match-winner Jonathan Woodgate was unexpectedly ruled out with an Achilles problem on the morning of the match.
Even the sight of a weakened United side (no Berbatov, no Rooney [virus]) was barely cause for comfort, the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Paul Scholes ensuring United were hardly a juggernaut running on empty.
The European Champions flew out the blocks too.
So often United are praised for their free-flowing imaginative football, yet it was their suffocating pressing game that nearly produced the perfect start in a dominant opening 15 minutes.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto was the first to choke under the United blanket as Ronaldo breathed down his throat, forgetting the old ‘never across your own goal’ adage to give Nani the chance to open his legs. The Portuguese quickly fed Tevez deep inside the Spurs box, who teed up Ronaldo for the first meaningful effort on goal.
While United’s troops put the squeeze on an unexpecting Spurs midfield, Sergeant Scholes sat in the pocket, sending lasers like a quarterback – one of which young Danny Welbeck really should have capitalised on as he overran the raking 50-yard pass.
Learning his trade from the master was Darron Gibson, prominent throughout United’s cup run, and he quickly showed an assassin-like eye moments later, slashing towards goal from 25 yards...taking the paint off the post as the net remained unruffled.
Spurs looked like a legion fighting uphill; they needed an outlet, they needed to find a way to get the ball out to Aaron Lennon.
The little England winger stood waiting like a coiled spring, and on 17 minutes one delightful Corluka pass unleashed the speedster for the rest of the game.
It would become a theme of a highly watchable first half, a half that Spurs should have led by the break. Time and again Lennon would glide past Patrice Evra as if the Frenchman’s bootlaces were tied together. Time and again, with Darren Bent begging for a square ball, Lennon would be caught wanting with the final ball.
Luka Modric, in particular, released Lennon in behind Evra on more than one occasion – inside the United box – the Spurs fans rose in anticipation...the winger’s cross would disappoint.
The one time he did get his lines right, having popped up on the left for once, Roman Pavlyuchenko’s near-post header was less of a glance and more of a bullet – sending the ball high and wide. It would set the tone for the Russian’s hugely forgettable afternoon.
United’s first-half forays forward were becoming increasingly sporadic, although Rio Ferdinand nearly scored one of THE great Wembley goals – threatening Gomes’ goal with a dipping, cunning 25-yard volley that just evaded the crossbar.
Half time arrived. Spurs fans turned up the volume, suddenly pre-match fears had turned to sheer anticipation.
That anticipation should have been flattened directly after the interval.
Cristiano Ronaldo does not often turn down an opportunity to shoot – even from 35 yards – so when O’Shea sent the Portuguese bearing down on Gomes 10 yards out, there were 90,000 stunned faces as he opted to square the ball rather than shoot...doing a Lennon in the process.
The game’s flair players were becoming more and more prominent, Lennon and Modric doing all they could to carry the Spurs attack – only to find themselves severely hampered by the ball-and-chain of Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko up front - both of whom were largely anonymous.
Anonymous would also describe Danny Welbeck, who was replaced by Anderson 10 minutes into the second half as Sir Alex Ferguson grasped around for greater control of midfield.
Like lightening the change almost sparked an instant reward. Jonny Evans, so classy at the back, popped up at a corner to drag a half-volley towards Carlos Tevez...whose heeled attempt at the back post diverted the ball agonisingly wide.
The tension was mounting and, in the space of five minutes, United were involved in two hugely controversial moments.
First O’Shea, already booked, clattered Modric with what was a definite bookable challenge – no second yellow from ref Chris Foy.
Then, Cristiano Ronaldo, so dynamic, so blistering when he runs at defenders, showed once again that he is disappointingly powderpuff in the challenge. Coming inside Assou-Ekotto, Ronaldo lured Ledley King to mistime his tackle – yet the Portuguese was so ready to go down that he was already on his knees before King’s contact...Foy correctly waving away the penalty protests.
Ronaldo (and no doubt Ferguson) were left indignant, particularly as a booking followed for his undesirably acting, yet moments later things could have been a whole lot worse as Lennon wasted the chance of the match.
Inevitably Modric was involved as he allowed the ball to run to Lennon, in acres, at the back post...the winger steadied himself, put his foot through it – but Ben Foster sprung to his right to leave Lennon with his head in his hands.
Extra time loomed large, Tottenham’s fan launched into a harmonic rendition of ‘when the Spurs go marching in’, but suddenly the ball was at the feet of Ronaldo one final time. The Portuguese had a point to prove, he drove inside Assou-Ekotto to unleash a blockbuster left-foot drive that passed Gomes in a blur...the Cup rested on this shot...the ball smashed back off an upright. Extra time it was.
Now was a time for heart more than talent. Cramp crippled the Tottenham side, Jermaine Jenas and Aaron Lennon hobbled off for Gareth Bale and David Bentley as Redknapp tried desperately to keep his team fresh.
United threw on Ryan Giggs as it became a session of attack versus defence, Tottenham camping on the edge of their own area as United looked for a way in.
Wembley began to represent a war field as cramp riddled Michael Dawson’s body...Spurs were praying for penalties, yet from nowhere they nearly won it. Luka Modric, looking every bit the £17 million player that Spurs signed in the summer, drove past a tiring Jonny Evans, creating the opening for Bent to hammer towards goal – only to see Ben Foster close his legs in the nick of time as the ball threatened to squirm under his body.
Still there was time for more. This was fantasy football now as Evans, popping up as a marauding right winger, crossed for Evra at the back post, who slashed a scything half-volley narrowly over a helpless Gomes.
Penalties.
Ryan Giggs scored. Jamie O’Hara, somewhat inevitably after his tears of a year ago, missed. Tevez went the same way as Giggs, same result. Vedran Corluka got Spurs on the board. 2-1 after four penalties. Ronaldo made it 3-1, straight down the middle, Bentley missed – missed the target.
It was left to Anderson to win the Cup for Manchester United, making it 24 trophies in 23 years under Sir Alex Ferguson. As for this season, that's two trophies down – three to go.
STAR MAN: Luka Modric 8.5*. Kept driving Tottenham forward with real quality and was desperately unlucky to finish a loser. Click here for exclusive players ratings and match stats.