Holders Manchester United booked their place in the quarter-finals
of the Carling Cup but for the second time in three days finished with
ten men.
Gary Neville was sent off in the second half at Oakwell, following
on from fellow defender Nemanja Vidic in the defeat by Liverpool on
Sunday.
Neville's dismissal was the only downside for United who secured
their passage thanks to goals from Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen, his
third of the season.
Ferguson named a completely different starting XI to the one at
Anfield and the youngsters rose to the challenge against Barnsley.
Had the Coca-Cola Championship side shown a cutting edge to match their work rate it might have been a different story.
Ferguson handed a delayed debut to Gabriel Obertan, two months after the winger arrived from Bordeaux.
Obertan, 20, had proved his fitness with three games for the
reserves after a nagging back injury and he should have marked the
occasion by finding the target.
Up against former Old Trafford striker Mark Robins, now Barnsley
manager, United needed only five minutes to make the breakthrough.
It was Welbeck who made his mark just as he did in the last round when he scored the winner against Wolves.
He was allowed a free header when Anderson delivered the corner and took advantage with a clinical finish.
Welbeck almost added a second five minutes later following a superb ball over the top from Anderson.
However goalkeeper Luke Steele prevented his side going two down by making a marvellous block.
Barnsley were again forced on the back foot in the 19th minute and
Obertan should have scored when released by Owen. But again Steele
stood tall and thwarted the Frenchman.
However the home side responded and skipper Stephen Foster was left cursing his luck four minutes later.
His header from Adam Hammill's corner beat goalkeeper Ben Foster but came back off the angle of the post and bar.
Back came United and Welbeck headed over the bar following a cross from Obertan in the 36th minute.
With only one goal separating the teams, Barnsley were by no means
out of it. But there was disbelief around the ground when Daniel
Bogdanovic's ball across the face of the goal seven minutes later was
not picked up.
Owen then squandered a good chance in the 48th minute, scuffing a shot wide after being set up by Welbeck.
Barnsley were making a decent fist of it but Anderson should have done better six minutes later when he failed to test Foster.
Then substitute Zoran Tosic, who had replaced Welbeck, saw his effort narrowly clear the bar in the 57th minute.
Two minutes later Owen showed his class by making it 2-0, clipping
the ball past Steele after getting between Foster and Darren Moore with
Fabio supplying the pass.
However United were reduced to ten men in the 63rd minute when
Neville was handed a straight red by referee Chris Foy for clattering
into the back of Hammill.
Neville, who was on the bench against Liverpool, looked stunned at seeing his time on the pitch come to a premature end.
Anderson then twice came close in quick succession to pulling a goal back for Barnsley but both his headers were wayward.
However they had the bit between their teeth and were anxious to give a full house something to cheer about.
It was not to be though as United kept their shape and their
discipline to move menacingly into the last eight of the competition.
Teams
Barnsley Steele, Kozluk, Moore, Foster, Julian Gray,De
Silva (Campbell-Ryce 71), Colace (Butterfield 77),Hallfredsson,
Hammill, Macken (Hume 65), Bogdanovic.
Subs Not Used: Preece, Hassell, Thompson, Devaney.
Booked: De Silva, Colace, Bogdanovic.
Man Utd Foster, Neville, Brown, Jonathan Evans,Fabio
Da Silva, Obertan, Rafael Da Silva, Anderson,Welbeck (Tosic 53),
Macheda, Owen (De Laet 65).
Subs Not Used: Amos, O'Shea, Corry Evans, King, James.
Sent Off: Neville (63).
Booked: Fabio Da Silva, Tosic.
Goals: Welbeck 6, Owen 59.
Att: 20,019
Ref: Chris Foy (Merseyside).
sportinglife.com
It may have been a match labelled as one for the youngsters but it was two senior players who wrote the headlines. Gary Neville became the second Man Utd player in as many matches to see red while Owen capped off the evening with a goal to put the game to bed.
