Carling Cup holders Manchester United, with a complete first XI switch, began the defence of the trophy with a comfortable but unconvincing display against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
A drab first half was bereft of chances, with the major talking point being a sending off for Red Devils left back Fabio. Wes Brown couldn’t accurately deal with a ball on the halfway line and one time rumoured United target Michael Kightly raced clear. Fabio looked to be catching up but stumbled and in the process brought down the Wolves winger, referee Walton had no option with 30 minutes played but to dismiss the youngster.
Former United player David Jones forced a save from the free kick – the only meaningful work from either keeper in the first half. Fellow ex-United youngster Ebanks Blake had an earlier shot over the bar while Michael Owen should have done far better with a header from a pick your spot cross from Gary Neville – and a sliced Neville clearance in the dying moments of the opening period was sliced by Jones, but those aside, it was a first half largely dominated by wasteful passes in attack.
The holders got the only goal of the game just after the hour mark – a move involving Michael Carrick and then a wonderful one-two between Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen saw Welbeck coolly convert.
Wolves sub Kevin Doyle fashioned three saves from Tomasz Kuszczak while United debutant Josh King looked a little lively up front, but the scoreline was never really threatened.
Subs : Kuszczak 6, *Neville 7, Brown 7, Evans 7, Fabio 6, Welbeck 7 (King), Gibson 6, Carrick 7, Nani 6, Owen 6 (Valencia 5), Macheda 5 (De Laet 7)
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