Owen wonder-goal sends Manchester Utd through

Barnsley 0 Manchester United 2. Sir Alex Ferguson got back on track yesterday following the defeat at Liverpool on Sunday with a comfortable victory over Championship side Barnsley in the Carling Cup. An experimental United line-up saw Michael Owen start alongside Danny Welbeck, Federico Macheda and Gabriel Obertan, and the only bad news from the night was the straight red card received by veteran defender Gary Neville for a foul on Adam Hammill.

"I think he followed through and caught the boy," Sir Alex Ferguson admitted after the game. "It wasn't high, just above the ankle, but in the present climate I think the referee was correct." Coming on top of Fergie's earlier acceptance of the FA charge against him for questioning Alan Wiley's fitness to referee, and one would be forgiven for thinking the Scot was going soft.

The visitors raced into the lead after just six minutes, when a corner earned by Obertan was headed home unchallenged by Welbeck. Both youngsters were also on target during again during the first half, and the Tykes' keeper Luke Steele was forced into two smart saves. Although they were having to defend desperately, Barnsley did have chances in the first period, with Stephen Foster heading against the bar from a corner.

United emerged from the interval with fresh purpose to their game, and could have been 3-0 up within minutes. First Owen fluffed a one-on-one with Steele, the substitute Zoran Tosic almost scored with his first significant touch, narrowly shooting wide after being set up the influential Anderson's pass. But on the hour mark Owen showed with Ferguson had rescued him during the summer.

From Fabio Silva's pass, Owen beat one man, nutmegged another before placing a controlled shot from 16 yards past the despairing arms of Steele. "It was a fantastic goal," his manager said. "He showed good feet and it was a marvellous quick finish." There was no Fabio Capello there to see the goal, Owen's thrid of the season, but the striker was unconcerned. "England is not something I go on the pitch thinking about, I just go out there trying to help the players,” he said. "It's up to the England manager what he thinks."

Neville's dismissal meant United had to play the last half hour with ten men, but the hosts had little to trouble them and it finished 2-0. ·