Red menace gives City the blues

WAYNE ROONEY’S two goals offered a short, sharp response to those pundits who believe he could be on his way out of Old Trafford due to differences with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.

But in this, a third round FA Cup tie that will live long in the memories of both sets of supporters, the England forward’s form was just a minor side issue to be thrust forth by an eventful occasion which could have far reaching implications for this season’s Premier League title race.

The tie seemed to have been settled in the opening 12 minutes, in which time Rooney had fired United ahead and City had seen key defender Vincent Kompany harshly red-carded for a ball-winning, but two-footed, tackle on Nani.

Goals from Danny Welbeck and Rooney, following a missed penalty, seemed to have put United on course for a result that would match and erase the humiliating 6-1 home defeat they suffered at City’s hands in October.

Yet little is so straightforward in this most engaging of English football seasons and second-half goals from Aleksandar Kolarov and Sergio Aguero brought City to the brink of an incredible comeback.

Ultimately, it fell short. But City’s Roberto Mancini looked and sounded a far happier manager after the game than his opposite number Ferguson, who clearly fears that recent slip-ups against Blackburn and Newcastle, along with this second-half performance, could point to a deep, underlying problem at United.

For Mancini, however, for all this may have been a moral victory and one which leaves him believing his side will win the title, the pending loss of Kompany to a four-game suspension could prove costly, especially with Kolo Toure away with the Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations.

“We will definitely appeal,” said Mancini.

“But I don’t want to talk about the referee. I want to stay on the bench for the next game.”

Ferguson was far more supportive of referee Chris Foy and accused Kompany of being a repeat offender.

“Yes, it was a sending off,” he said. “I have seen him do that before but he has maybe got away with it. We were lucky because if he had made contact, Nani would have had a real problem because it could have been a bad one. I think the referee was right in that instance.”

United, who brought 37-year-old midfield Paul Scholes out of retirement as a second-half sub, were already leading when Kompany was dismissed, having scored with their first foray into the home half, a move started by Ryan Giggs’ pass to Rooney.

The forward fed Antonio Valencia wide on the right before moving into the area and meeting the winger’s cross with a spectacular, spinning header which went in via the underside of the City bar.

City’s initial response to going down to 10 men was impressive and featured a 20-yard curling shot from Aguero, which drew a superb, diving save from Anders Lindegaard but, on the half-hour, United seemed to have taken a stranglehold on proceedings when Welbeck doubled the lead. Nani played an intelligent ball to the over-lapping Patrice Evra whose low cross eluded Welbeck only for Samir Nasri to inadvertently help it back into the path of the United forward, who volleyed home spectacularly.

United could sniff blood, and a large measure of revenge for their humiliating 6-1 home league loss to City earlier this season and, after 38 minutes and another incisive Giggs pass, they stretched their lead further when Welbeck was tripped by Kolarov. Rooney took a poor penalty, which was saved by Costel Pantilimon, but responded quickly to the rebound and headed it into the open net.

In response, Mancini brought on defenders Pablo Zabaleta and Stefan Savic at half time, as part of a tactical reshuffle, and the move paid instant dividends when Evra brought down Micah Richards after 48 minutes.

Kolarov reduced arrears with a spectacular 22-yard free-kick which beat the United wall and the dive of Lindegaard.

Nani headed wide and Rooney’s latest long shot whistled past the post before Ferguson drew huge cheers from the visiting supporters by replacing Nani with Scholes just before the hour.

United felt they should have had a penalty when Kolarov tripped Valencia in the area but the non-decision was even more damaging for the visitors when City claimed a second goal after 64 minutes.

Scholes was badly at fault for the goal, gifting the ball to James Milner deep in United territory. Milner’s right-wing cross found Aguero whose initial sharp, stinging shot was only parried by Lindegaard, allowing the City forward to react first and net the ricochet.

United attempted to take the sting out of City’s recovery but lived dangerously when Phil Jones appeared to handle a Kolarov cross but escaped with only conceding a corner.

And, with seconds ticking away, the game’s final chance fell to Kolarov whose superb dead ball from the edge of the area was fumbled by Lindegaard but hacked to safety by his defence.