Leeds United 0 Manchester United 3: Giggs rolls back years to inspire marauding Red Devils to victory

Just as they have been when up against Premier League opposition for the best part of the last two decades, the Red Devils were simply too good for Leeds United.

Two predatory finishes by Michael Owen and a solo wonder goal from Ryan Giggs ensured any hopes Leeds had of repeating their FA Cup heroics of 20 months ago were over before half-time.

Simon Grayson’s side had no answer to the marauding visitors, and in particular Giggs who rolled back the years before being substituted during the interval with the game already won.

The former Welsh international may be in the Autumn of his career but the Leeds midfield simply couldn’t get close to him.

That and the desire of a group of players clearly intent on proving to Ferguson they have a part to play this season meant there was never any real danger of a Carling Cup upset.

Instead, English football’s most decorated manager claimed a 20th victory over Leeds in the 35 meetings that have taken place between these most bitter of rivals since he arrived at Old Trafford almost a quarter of a century ago.

The enmity between the Uniteds of Leeds and Manchester was apparent throughout last night with absence certainly not having made the heart grow fonder.

Both sets of fans unfortunately crossed the line in terms of what is acceptable in the name of rivalry, especially during the first half when a banner mocking the deaths of two Leeds supporters in Istanbul 11 years ago appeared in the away end.

It was distasteful and did the 3,100-strong visiting contingent no credit at all.

What this sense of mutual hatred did do, though, was make for a crackling atmosphere. With the Gelderd End in fine voice, it was Leeds who fashioned the first chance of the game after just five minutes.

A Robert Snodgrass corner was the catalyst, Tom Lees’s powerful header being blocked by Dimitar Berbatov who then got in the way of a fiercely-hit follow-up by Ross McCormack.

The Bulgarian may have been starting his first game of the season but, bearing in mind how last night’s tie subsequently panned out, there can be little doubt his intervention at such an early stage proved to be a pivotal moment.

Ferguson’s side took full advantage of the let-off on 15 minutes when Berbatov and Ji-Sung Park combined to find Owen, who wriggled away from Lees before rolling a shot across Andy Lonergan and into the net.

Leeds fell further behind just after the half-hour mark when Owen, another senior player to have been edged out at Old Trafford by the emergence of such a dynamic set of youngsters this term, once again produced a deadly finish that gave Lonergan no chance.

There was no way back for Grayson’s men, though the home fans did have the pleasure of seeing Antonio Valencia somehow shoot wide from six yards with the goal at his mercy after being picked out by Owen.

“Are you Torres in disguise,” was the mocking chant but the Leeds supporters’ enjoyment did not last too long with Giggs rounding off a dominant first-half showing by netting the third goal of the night.

A quickly-taken corner was Leeds’s undoing this time, the ball finding Giggs who nut-megged Aidy White before finishing with aplomb from a tight angle.

The game was definitely up for the hosts, though manager Grayson did try to pep up his troops by bringing on Finnish duo Mikael Forssell and new signing Mika Vayrynen just seven minutes after the restart.

The double switch did help to stem the tide, though Owen did come within a whisker of claiming his hat-trick with a floated shot that landed just wide of the post.

Leeds responded by applying some pressure of their own as Vayrynen brought a save from Ben Amos, albeit for a linesman’s flag to denote the effort would not have counted.

Snodgrass and Adam Clayton then went close before United’s best chance of the night came in stoppage time when Ramon Nunez was played through only to blaze wide with goalkeeper Amos to beat.

Leeds may not have managed to find the goal their fans craved but their never-say-die spirit did elicit a deserved round of applause at the final whistle.

It was clear the 31,031 crowd recognised the effort that had been put in by Grayson’s men.

Losing to the pace-setters in the Premier League is no disgrace. Far worse will happen to many other teams this season, as any Arsenal fan will admit through clenched teeth.

The key now for Leeds is to ensure they learn from the experience and take that into the remainder of their Championship campaign, starting with Friday’s trip to high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion.

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Leeds United: Lonergan; Lees, Bromby, O’Dea, White; Snodgrass, Clayton, Howson, Keogh (Vayrynen 52); McCormack (Nunez 66), Becchio (Forssell 52). Unused substitutes: Rachubka, O’Brien, Brown, Forssell, Taylor.

Manchester United: Amos; Valencia, Fryers, Carrick, Fabio Da Silva; Diouf (Wellbeck 70), Giggs (Pogba 46), Park, Macheda (Cole 77); Berbatov, Owen. Unused substitutes: De Gea, Wellbeck, Brown, Keane, Thorpe.

Referee: M Jones (Cheshire).