10-man Man Utd progress thanks to Wellbeck goal

Manchester United 1 Wolves 0. Same division, different planet. The relative strengths of the Premier League were on show last night as Alex Ferguson put out an under-strength side last night - you know, Michael Owen and Federico Macheda up front, Gary Neville and Wes Brown in defence, and Michael Carrick and Nani in the centre of the park - had a player sent off after thirty minutes and still managed to comfortably beat Wolves.

United are the holders of the Carling Cup, and while it's the least valued piece of silverware on offer for the Big Four, in a season when the Champions League looks likely to be dominated by Spain's Big Two, and trophy will do. Ferguson started with an entirely new side from that which squeezed home in the epic Mancunian derby at the weekend, and the disruption was plain to see as Owen initially struggled alongside Danny Wellbeck and Macheda, players he had never taken to the pitch in anger with before.

Wolves posed an early threat, but seemed overawed by their surroundings and could have pressed the home side in the first half hour. But Fabio da Silva's dismissal for a professional foul on Michael Kightly galvanised United, and the task of playing with just ten men for an hour was less a burden than a challenge. United's goal came when Owen played a perfect one-two through the heart of the Wolves defence with rising United starlet Wellbeck, who finished clinically past Marcus Hahnemann.

The entertainment on the pitch was soon wrapped up, but the United manager provided an amusing post-script to events when he attempted to defend da Silva, who had essentially rugby tackled the man running past him. "The referee gave the red card immediately," Ferguson said. "He never thought about it - maybe he should have waited a few seconds. I thought Fabio slipped, he tried to regain [his footing] after slipping and that was why he brought the boy down. That's the letter of the law and he probably had to go," the manager eventually conceded. ·